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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 14, 2009
GOVERNOR PATERSON ANNOUNCES $167 MILLION IN ECONOMIC RECOVERY FUNDING FOR HUDSON VALLEY INFRASTRUCTURE
First Approved Projects Include Palisades Interstate Parkway Bridge Replacement
Funding will Create Estimated 4,008 Jobs in the Hudson Valley
Governor David A. Paterson today announced that the Hudson Valley is expected to receive at least $167 million in transportation and infrastructure funding through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This critical funding will go toward much-needed highway and road repair, bridgework and other long-term improvements to the region’s infrastructure and will create an estimated 4,008 jobs.
“President Obama and New York’s outstanding Congressional Delegation recognized the immediate need for this funding and fought tirelessly until it was secured,” said Governor Paterson. “Though the projects announced today represent a small number of the opportunities that will be funded with the economic recovery funds, his money will start to put our residents back to work, create safer roads, stronger infrastructure and a cleaner environment for generations of future residents.”
In addition to these funds, New York State Department of Transportation will award $94 million in highway and bridge contracts next year and the Hudson Valley will receive approximately $38 million in Consolidated Highway Improvement Program funding, which the recovery funds enabled us to restore to the State budget. In total, Hudson Valley communities will receive almost $300 million in highway and bridge funding in 2009-10.
The economic recovery funds coming to New York for transportation projects must follow the same process required for distributing all federal transportation funds. The funds are allocated to projects that are selected by the 13 regional Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO’s) across the State, which are comprised of local elected officials, local transit operators and members of the Department of Transportation. MPO’s vote unanimously on projects for their Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and economic recovery funds will be directed to projects on those lists. Similarly, regions of New York without MPO’s are served by the State Department of Transportation, which consults with local elected officials and selects projects for the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. The Department is working with local officials and the Governor’s Economic Recovery Cabinet to identify priority shovel-ready projects eligible for recovery funds.
New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Astrid C. Glynn said: “These projects will preserve the integrity of the Hudson Valley’s transportation infrastructure and improve the safety of motorists. Governor Paterson has worked hard to secure these valuable federal funds to bolster our transportation infrastructure and invest in critical job creation.”
Governor Paterson has recently certified $77.4 million in ARRA funding for projects in the Hudson Valley. Specifically, the projects include:
- $15.2 million of ARRA funding for a project to replace the Palisades Interstate Parkway bridge over Route 202 in the towns of Haverstraw and Ramapo, Rockland County. Construction is expected to be completed in November 2010;
- $3.7 million in ARRA funding for a project to install an automated traffic management system on the Cross County Parkway in Westchester County. The new system will include acoustic vehicle detectors that will communicate with the region’s Transportation Management Center, located in Hawthorne, Westchester County. The project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2010;
- $13.4 million in ARRA funding for a project to provide much-needed general maintenance of 18 bridges along Interstate 684 in Westchester County, helping to extend the service life of the structures. The project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2010;
- $5.9 million in ARRA funding for a project to repave approximately 34 miles of state roadway in Westchester and Rockland counties. The top layer of worn, deteriorated pavement will be removed and replaced with new asphalt and fresh pavement markings to extend the service life of pavement. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2009;
- $3.3 million in ARRA funding for a project to construct new bluestone sidewalks along Route 209 in the Hamlet of Stone Ridge located in the Town of Marbletown, Ulster County. The project will restore the historic sidewalk, repave a nearly one mile section of highway, and install a new traffic signal at the intersection of Route 209 and Route 213. The new traffic signal will also include enhanced pedestrian signal poles and crosswalks. Construction is expected to be completed in the summer of 2010;
- $1.4 million in ARRA funding for a project to repave approximately 18 miles of state roadway in Columbia, Dutchess and Putnam counties. The top layer of worn, deteriorated pavement will be removed and replaced with new asphalt and fresh pavement markings to extend the service life of pavement. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2009;
- $4.4 million in ARRA funding for a project to repave approximately 22 miles of state roadway in Orange and Ulster counties. The top layer of worn, deteriorated pavement will be removed and replaced with new asphalt and fresh pavement markings to extend the service life of pavement. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2009;
- $4.9 million in ARRA funding for a project to paint the steel superstructure of four bridges and provide localized, spot painting on 57 other bridges along Interstate 84 in Dutchess, Putnam, and Orange counties. This preventative-maintenance project will preserve the bridges’ structural integrity. The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2010;
- $12.2 million in ARRA funding for a project to replace the Popham Road Bridge over the Metro-North Railroad tracks in the Village of Scarsdale, Westchester County. Construction is expected to be completed by spring 2011;
- $2.8 million in ARRA funding for a project to replace the Odell Avenue Bridge over abandoned railroad tracks in the City of Yonkers, Westchester County. Construction is expected to be completed by the fall of 2009;
$10.2 million in ARRA funding for a project to replace the South First Avenue Bridge over the Metro-North Railroad tracks in the City of Mount Vernon, Westchester County. Construction is expected to be completed by spring 2011.
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