Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) and City of Lackawanna Mayor Geoffrey Szymanski announced completion of a federal/city project to reconstruct a stretch of Ridge Road in Lackawanna.
“Ridge Road is one of the prime transportation routes serving as the backbone to local businesses and Lackawanna destination points like the Our Lady of Victory Basilica and the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens,” said Congressman Higgins. “This infrastructure work builds the foundation for economic opportunities to grow.”
Mayor Geoffrey M. Szymanski added, “Congressman Higgins came through with the funds needed to make this happen and allowed us to stretch the project to the Our Lady of Victory Basilica, the city’s national landmark. Economic development and major infrastructure repairs are a priority under my administration and with the help of Congressman Higgins, the gateway of our city now has the smoothest road in Erie County. The difference in the drive through our city is incomparable”.
The $837,000 project was funded with $359,960 in federal funding secured in the federal transportation bill (SAFETEA-LU) by Congressman Higgins, $200,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant Funding and the remaining paid for by the City of Lackawanna.
The work included resurfacing, select replacement of sidewalks and curbs and well as features to upgrade the infrastructure to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) features. The improvements stretch .6 miles from South Park Avenue to the new Ridge Road Bridge. The new bridge at Ridge Road, a $21.696 project was also a jointly funded with over $17.35 million in federal dollars and more than $1.08 million from the City of Lackawanna.
“There was no better timing than now to find these funds needed to pave our main street. After completing the construction of ‘Centennial Bridge’ last fall, our next obstacle was trying to find funding to fix one of the worst roads in all of Erie County. It was like driving through a demilitarized zone. A driver would avoid hitting one pothole only to run into another”, declared Mayor Geoffrey M. Szymanski.
The Ridge Road project supported local jobs with the design work conducted by TVGA Consultants and construction work carried out by Destro & Brothers Concrete Co. Inc., both based in Buffalo.
ShareThis