The Albany County Department of Public Works is in the process of developing a plan to reconstruct 1.7 miles of Fuller Road and Washington Avenue Extension that will affect the towns of Colonie and Guilderland.
The plan has been in the works since 2002 when the County Capital Plan Committee and the County Legislature approved the project after considering certain selection criteria, such as pavement condition, maintenance costs, accident history, and public and staff input.
The reconstruction design intends to renew pavement, install new curbing and sidewalks, improve drainage, incorporate bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and possibly roundabouts.
This is a big project and it will be a big inconvenience, said Pat Kanneally, the project manager for Greenman-Pederson, Inc., the consultants for Albany County Public Works. `But then there won’t be anyone out there fixing potholes and doing maintenance work for a very long time afterwards.`
In 2007, the County Capital Plan Committee and the County Legislature approved $12 million for the corridor project, which consists of Western Avenue to Washington Avenue, and Interstate 90 to Central Avenue. The corridor project has 100 percent county funding.
The intersection project was also approved at that time, which consists of work on Fuller Road and Washington Avenue Extension for $4.9 million. The intersection project also has $2 million in federal funding.
A detailed design is expected to be made during the summer and into the winter of 2008.
Albany County Department of Public Works plans to begin the construction in April of 2009 and end around November of 2010.
Kanneally pointed out that they only have preliminary plans and that nothing has been decided yet.
`The University of Albany and Nanotech are in the process of developing their own master plan,` he said, `and we don’t want to finalize anything until they do, so we can make sure our plan complements theirs.`
Thursday, May 8, was the inaugural public hearing to inform the residents of Albany, Guilderland and Colonie about the construction plans. A PowerPoint presentation was put on by the Albany County Department of Public Works in the NanoTechnology building at 255 Fuller Road.
`It’s a good thing all in all,` said Mary Ryan, the president of Ryan’s Produce on Railroad Avenue in Colonie, where some of the construction would be taking place. Ryan said that in general, she likes the idea of the construction very much but is a little apprehensive about roundabouts.
`The one in Delmar is a mess,` she said. `I hope it’s not like that one.`
Ryan’s Produce has been in the area for 98 years. Ryan said that there has been more traffic since more businesses have sprung up along the Washington Avenue Extension, and although the traffic brings congestion, it also brings business.
`It absolutely brings people to the businesses,` she said, `I’m looking forward to them starting this project.`
Liesse Mohr, a resident who lives on Washington Avenue Extension in Guilderland, is not as optimistic.
`Albany County did not make contact with any of the residents,` she said.
Mohr said that she has some reservations about the roundabouts. `There is heavy, heavy, commuter traffic,` she said. `A rotary might make traveling more difficult, especially for the senior citizens at Avila [retirement community].`
Mohr said that she likes the idea of businesses and developments moving north but stresses that all of the reconstruction needs to be aesthetically pleasing.
`Everything has to look beautiful and majestic,` she said.
Ryan also stressed the importance of Albany County Public Works keeping the residents up-to-date on the plans to reconstruct.
`They need to include the residents to make this beneficial for everyone involved,` she said.
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