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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE12-54

August 8, 2012

CONTACT:

Chris Gilbride / Corey Chambliss  (718) 595-6600

DEP Completes $15 Million in Route 28A Reconstruction and Realignment

Improvements Will Enhance Safety, Prevent Damage from Future Storms

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection today announced the completion of major improvements to Route 28A in the town of Olive, New York that will enhance driver safety and improve stormwater management around the Ashokan Reservoir. The work included realigning sections of Route 28A to remove dangerous, sharp curves and to straighten the road. In addition, DEP installed turning lanes at intersections to improve driver safety and added crosswalks to two locations to protect pedestrians. In addition to these safety upgrades, the work include the replacement of culverts, swales and catch basins as part of an extensive drainage infrastructure rehabilitation to improve stormwater management. DEP also completed major structural upgrades to six bridges which included full replacement of their roadway surfaces.

“The improvements to route 28A have made the road safer for everyone who uses it and facilitates additional recreational opportunities,” said DEP Commissioner Carter Strickland. “The straightened road, improved sight lines, and wider shoulders will ensure drivers see each other and also the many cyclists and joggers who use 28A to enjoy the outdoors.”

In addition to making roadway improvements, DEP enhanced visibility for drivers by removing trees that obscured views of oncoming vehicles. Additional space was also added along the shoulder of the roadway to improve safety for joggers and cyclists. The Five Pines public access area at Monument Road was also expanded to include more parking near the Olive Bridge Dam and crosswalks were added to enhance safety for pedestrians.

As part of the project, major structural upgrades were also made to six bridges:

  • Ashokan Spillway Bridge
  • Bushkill Bridge
  • Release Channel Bridge (Waste Channel)
  • Reservoir Road Railroad Bridge
  • Stone Church Bridge
  • Traver Hollow Bridge

DEP manages the city’s water supply, providing more than one billion gallons of water each day to more than nine million residents, including eight million in New York City, and residents of Ulster, Orange, Putnam and Westchester counties from the Catskill, Delaware, and Croton watersheds that extend more than 125 miles from the City, and comprises 19 reservoirs, and three controlled lakes. Approximately 1,000 DEP employees live and work in the watershed communities as scientists, engineers, surveyors, and administrative professionals, and perform other critical responsibilities. DEP has invested more than $1.5 billion in watershed protection programs—including partnership organizations such as the Catskill Watershed Corporation and the Watershed Agricultural Council—that support sustainable farming practices, environmentally sensitive economic development, and local economic opportunity. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program for the repair of Gilboa Dam and other in-city and upstate infrastructure, with a planned $13.2 billion in investments over the next 10 years. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nycwater, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nycwater.

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