Cheektowaga, N.Y. (WBEN) - It's expected to be another busy season of road work and construction across Erie County, as more than $47 million in various infrastructure projects are planned across the region for 2025.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz was joined on Wednesday by a number of other local leaders in government and Erie County Public Works commissioner Bill Geary to lay out the county's Road Program, which includes investments of $47.4 million for more than 118 miles of roadways and bridges covering several municipalities.
"On an annual basis, Erie County does about 10% of our roads, and we're doing that again, because we have about 1,200 center-line miles of roads, of which we are actually larger in center mile line road overall that is owned by the county than three states: Delaware, Rhode Island and Hawaii. When you have a large road inventory like that, you have to invest a lot of money annually," said Poloncarz during Wednesday's announcement.
Engineering projects will make up most of the 2025 Road Program, with $26.8 million of those infrastructure improvements anticipated. Among those projects are:
- Pine St. reconstruction: Fully county-funded, this $4 million investment will reconstruct Pine Street in Aurora from Rte. 20A to the Aurora town line;
- Bailey Avenue from Grover Cleveland to Sheridan Drive in Amherst: 1.2 miles, this $7.8 million project awaits federal funding;
- Drainage improvements and road rehabilitation on Lake Shore Road in the Town of Evans: $4.2 million investment that covers 1.2 miles;
- Borden Road rehabilitation Phase II: This ongoing project in Cheektowaga is an $8.5 million investment;
- Phase I of the New Road rehabilitation in Amherst: $8.45 million investment;
- 2025 Overlay A projects: Greiner Road (Transit to Anfield), Colvin Avenue (Sheridan to Kenmore), and George Urban Blvd. (Dick Road to Transit); an investment of $7.5 million, these projects are occurring in various districts;
- Maryvale Drive rehabilitation: $5.5 million investment in the Town of Cheektowaga, covers .92 miles; will include a two-course mill and overlay, new drainage system, replacement of culvert, new curb ramps, pavement markings, and signage;
- Maple Road (from North Forest to Flint) in Amherst: $2 million investment to address the west bound lanes with joint rehabilitation and paving.
Mill and Overlay operations are scheduled for over seventeen miles of county roads in 2025, an investment of over $3.6 million.
Over $3.4 million will be invested in Cold Recycle and Top Course treatments for over fourteen miles of county roads in 2025.
Bridge projects account for over $11.7 million in projects in 2025, investments that span Erie County.
Over 74 miles of outlying and rural roads in the county will receive Oil & Chip treatments in 2025, an investment of over $2 million.
"In two years, we're doing more than $100 million in road and bridge projects. Don't ever let anybody say Erie County's not investing in our roads and bridges, because we are," Poloncarz exclaimed. "And to tell you the truth, the ratings of the roads are much better than they were 10 years ago. People will complain because there's potholes. Yes, there's potholes, but overall, our road and bridge inventory is in much better shape now than it was 10 years ago."
Poloncarz adds that a number of roadways across Erie County fared well, despite feeling a more normal winter than in past years.
"We had some really much colder days and freeze/thaws, which, of course, cause the potholes. It was a more traditional year," he said. "We were able to handle it, snow removal-wise, but it did have an impact on the roads. It's just something we expect. After the last few fairly mild winters, the roads were pretty good coming out of it, because we didn't have that extreme cold. And once we got it, it caused more freeze/thaws, and it caused more issues."
For more information on the Erie County Department of Public Works’ Highways Division, visit https://www3.erie.gov/dpw/division-highways.