NYDOT announces nearly $5M for Essex, Clinton county roads

PLATTSBURGH | With incoming nor'easter weather due before Thanksgiving, New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez stood in front of two of the state's big plow trucks in Plattsburgh and announced funds for Harsh Winter Paving. The North Country DOT Region 7 manages over 3,000 lane miles of state roads in some of the most rural regions of New York. State road rebuilding projects will invest $2 million in Clinton County and $2.6 million in Essex County. She acknowledged celebration of Veterans Day and the many veterans who are part of the state DOT family. "Thank them," she said. "Thank them for their service. At DOT we take the service very seriously. I appreciate what they bring to the table, the immense skill set they bring to our team on a daily basis." Pretty soon, she said, the region will be back in snow and ice season, pulling DOT expertise into play. This region has some of the most critical areas they cover in terms of winter weather programs. "I believe we have one of the best snow fighting forces in the entire country. We think that is especially true of our crews here in the North Country. They do an incredible job every single day of the year, but especially in winter." Changing seasons take a toll on roadways throughout New York, she said. DOT uses technical tools and monitoring to plan road rebuilding projects for the year ahead. Gov. Kathy Hochul understands that highway safety is public safety, Dominguez said. Investing in roads not only secures infrastructure, it also invests in community, "because that's how we stay connected." Dominguez announced Harsh Winter Paving planned for this region in 2027. Of the total $100 million in projects statewide, $11.6 million are coming to Region 7. Projects slated in Essex and Clinton Counties include: $2 million for I-87 between exit 38 and 29 in the Town of Plattsburgh; $628,000 for State Route 22 from State Route 74 to State Route 9N in the Town of Ticonderoga; and $1.97 million for State Route 9 from Stowersville Road to Trout Pond Road in the Town of Lewis. "When the snow melts, we'll be out there in the spring rebuilding our roadways," the commissioner said. A crew of local officials and DOT personnel stood with the commissioner in the state garage. Clinton County Administrator Christine Peters was joined by county Legislators Francis Peryea, of Altona, and Jennifer Facteau-Rabideau, of Cadyville. DOT brought together Region 7 Director Robert Haynes, Clinton County Highway Superintendent Karl Weiss and DOT's Plattsburgh Residency Engineer Kyle Snide. Peters said the $2 million investment in Clinton County on I-87 benefits people from here and those who travel to and from the region either as visitors or for commerce. "It's the person heading to work before sunrise, the parent heading home after an evening game, the truck driver making a delivery to a local business," Peters said. "For many of our residents, this stretch of the Northway is part of a drive they make every day." County Highway Superintendent Weiss thanked the DOT commissioner for coming to share the investment news with local leaders and county legislators and personnel for being present. The snowplow fleet has been readied for the winter run, Plattsburgh Residency Engineer Kyle Snide told The Sun. The Plattsburgh garage received a new plow truck that day with a giant wing blade hauled behind it. The new equipment was still on its trailer out back as the news conference ended. Snide said DOT Plattsburgh has approximately 25 plow trucks throughout Clinton County, 10 based in Plattsburgh with a spare; five in Champlain; two in Churubusco; three in hamlets in the Saranac area; and four in Keeseville. About 50 drivers work in two plow shifts through winter. DOT Region 7 Director Haynes said plow trucks cost from $350,000 to $380,000 each. The trucks are fit with plows and side-mounted wing blades. In a news release, Assemblymember Michael Cashman said upkeep on roadways is more than just a convenience. "It is an avenue for our first responders and emergency crews to respond to their calls to act. It is making sure members of the workforce can get to work safely and come back home at night. Public health and safety goes beyond direct medical care, it is also the basic essentials that keep our world moving forward." Commissioner Dominguez said DOT is winding down one of its most productive annual road resurfacing programs in state history, totaling more than 4,000 lane miles of renewed pavement. DOT reminded travelers to be wary: lives are on the line, slow down and move over for highway workers and equipment.

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NYDOT announces nearly $5M for Essex, Clinton county roads

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