Springtime in Western New York means crews will soon be making road repairs. In Erie County, an investment of over $40 million will be used on new road and bridge projects in 2019.
Much of that work will be spread over five highway districts. On Monday, County Executive Mark Poloncarz listed some of the areas where road work will take place.
“Girdle Road, from Jamison to Porterville Road in Aurora, this will finish the portions of Girdle Road that we have done the past couple of years," Poloncarz said. "South Freeman Road from Jewett Holmwood Road to Route 240 in Orchard Park and then Whitney Road, which I believe is in the Town of Holland. We’re going to do all of it and we’re also going to do a lot of oil and chip, but those roads are to be determined at a later date.”
Given the size of Erie County, Poloncarz said it is arduous work repairing roads and bridges.
“We hear a lot of people complaining about them, but they don’t realize that Erie County is equivalent to a small state," he said. "It is the same geographic size as the state of Rhode Island. We actually own and control as a county, that’s not including all the other roads that exist out there, like city, town and village roads, we own and control 1,200 center line miles of road, which is more than three states.”
Poloncarz said 2018 was a bad year weather-wise, which meant roads desperately in need of repair were further damaged, but the annual concern will be taken care of and he is optimistic that all projects will be completed by November.
“We’ve already got bids out from some of these major projects, however the hot patch plants are not expected to open until at least another three weeks, mid-April," he said. "So for the time being, we’ll be out there filling up potholes with cold patch. Once the hot patch plants open and the asphalt plants open then, theoretically, we can start doing some of the major work.”
The County Executive also alluded to the possibility more funds could be coming to the county from the state to help with repairs, but he did give a dollar amount.
