NYS Dept. of Transportation to Begin Construction on Washington Street and Fairmount Avenue

New York State will be starting a $4.7 million road construction project in Jamestown.

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said the project will rehabilitate State Route 430/Washington Street, from Second Street to Fluvanna Avenue, and State Route 394/Fairmount Avenue, from McDaniel Avenue to Fairmount Avenue/Sixth Street.

Dominguez said, “This project will certainly contribute to the continued revitalization of Jamestown and will provide greater mobility for the pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists in the downtown area.”

The project, which is scheduled to be completed by summer of 2023, will implement a road diet along Washington Street which will include converting four-lanes to three-lanes of traffic on Washington Street from Fluvanna Avenue to West Second Street. This will allow for the installation of a two-way left-turn lane. New bicycle lanes, separated by a buffer from vehicular traffic, will be constructed along both sides of Washington Street.

A road diet typically involves transforming a road by reducing the lanes on a road in each direction, coupled with a variety of enhancements that could include sidewalks, bike lanes, bus lanes or parking lanes. Traditionally these are low-cost projects that could be as simple as restriping the road, but that reduce speed and increase mobility and accessibility while enhancing safety for all users.

Both Washington Street and Fairmount Avenue will be resurfaced, and drainage improvements will be made.

In addition, traffic signs along Washington Street and Fluvanna Avenue will be replaced. Eleven traffic signals along both arterials will be replaced or modified, and one new traffic signal will be installed on West 6th Street at Whitley Avenue. Pedestrian facilities including curb ramps, crosswalks and pedestrians signals with countdown timers will be upgraded.

State Senator George Borrello said, “Thousands of vehicles, including school buses, travel on Washington Street and Fluvanna Avenue every day. One of the issues I’ve been most vocal about in the senate is our need to increase spending to improve our roads and bridges. I want to thank Gov. Hochul and Commissioner Dominguez for bringing this project forward. Safe roads are essential to protect the traveling public. Good roads also support the small businesses that drive our economy. Infrastructure spending is economic development. This $4.7 million project is a win-win for everyone. It will improve the safety of Washington Street and Fluvanna Avenue for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists.”

Assemblyman Andy Goodell said, “I am delighted that the New York State DOT is doing improvements on these roads. It will dramatically improve the quality of two roads which are main thoroughfares in Jamestown.”

Motorists are urged to slow down and drive responsibly in work zones. Fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. Convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual’s driver license.

According to a report Saturday in the Jamestown Post Journal, the state Transportation Department’s project to replace a deteriorated culvert at the intersection of Hillcrest and Fairmount Avenues has preliminary work started, but the highway has not yet been closed to traffic.

An official with the state Transportation Department said the road closing is scheduled for late May or early June, with the road closure limited to a maximum of two weeks.

The detour will divert traffic traveling west on Fairmount Ave. to Southwestern Drive then to Hunt Road then to Big Tree Road which will lead back to Route 394.