The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) held a public meeting on Tuesday, April 21 regarding planned construction projects in 2015 for the Village of Owego and Town of Owego, Tioga County.
NYSDOT is planning a number of projects for the Owego area to be constructed in 2015 that will affect traffic. A pavement improvement project on Route 96 from Brown’s Lane in the Village of Owego to south of the Route 38 intersection in the Town of Owego is scheduled to begin in July and conclude in October. The paving project will reduce the road to one lane with alternating traffic controlled by flag personnel during the workday. The highway will be reopened to two lanes at the end of each workday.
A second project is planned for Route 96 under the Norfolk Southern Railroad viaduct, between Fox Street and East Avenue/West Avenue in the Village of Owego beginning in August, with completion scheduled in November. This project will lower the pavement under the railroad to increase clearance to the standard height. Due to the high volume of traffic in this area, work will be done between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. During nighttime operations, traffic will be reduced to one lane, with alternating traffic controlled by flag personnel. The roadway will be open to two lanes of traffic during the day.
In addition to these projects, NYSDOT will be making changes to the pavement markings at Route 96 and Main Street in the Village of Owego to improve mobility for large vehicles through the intersection. This work will occur in the spring and is dependent on weather and the availability of the Regional Pavement Marking Crew. The markings will take about a day to complete, and will require short-term shoulder and lane closures. Flag personnel will direct traffic.
A project is also planned to upgrade pedestrian signals at various locations. At Route 96 in the Village, pedestrian signal upgrades on Route 96 are planned for the intersections at Temple Street, East Avenue/West Avenue and Talcott Street. On Route 17C in the Town, upgraded pedestrian signals will be placed at the driveway to TOPS Plaza/Treadway Inn and at Hickories Park Road. At Route 96 and Fox Street in the Village, the overhead traffic signals will be replaced, in addition to the upgraded pedestrian signals. The existing span-wire configuration will be replaced with a mast-arm signal pole, similar to the new signals at the intersection of Route 96 (Court Street) and Main Street.
Individuals with questions or comments may contact the Regional Public Involvement Supervisor, Katy Mangan, by telephone at (607) 721-8254; by mail at 44 Hawley St., 14th floor, Binghamton, N.Y. 13901; or by email to Kathryn.Mangan@dot.ny.gov.
