...Western New York communities will receive more than $180 million in highway and bridge funding in state fiscal year 2009-2010; Central New York communities will get more than $220 million; Rochester area communities more than $185 million; Southern Tier communities more than $305 million; and Capital Region communities more than $216.1 million. The funding includes American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 monies.

The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. razed Buffalo’s 1930s-era Memorial Auditorium to make way for the mixed-use Canal Side development.
Photo: Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp.
The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. razed Buffalo’s 1930s-era Memorial Auditorium to make way for the mixed-use Canal Side development.

Crane-Hogan Structural Systems of Syracuse is reconstructing three local Syracuse bridges over Interstate 81 for the NYSDOT. The approximately $18-million, two-year project, which began in early 2009, includes pavement repairs. Two of the bridges will be complete by year-end.

Federal dollars at work As at many other military bases around the country, much work is taking place at Fort Drum, home of the U.S. Army Installation Management Command, in Northern New York. Jim Corriveau, director of public works, says construction is under way on barracks, motor pools, administrative buildings, mess halls and housing.

All told, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District plans to complete more than $2 billion in work by 2014 as part of the Army’s Force Transformation program. Many of the projects are complete, with approximately $900 million finished in the past three years.

“We’ll start to taper off next year,” says Corriveau, adding that projects totaled $106 million in 2009 and will reach $96 million in 2010. Most of the contracts range from $25 million to $30 million.

In addition, the base received $75 million in stimulus funding to renovate older barracks, replace boilers and revitalize the motor pool.

NYSDOT has broken ground on a couple of stimulus construction projects. In June, Vector Construction Corp. of Cicero, N.Y., began construction of the $6-million Bartell Road replacement bridge over Interstate 81 in Cicero, in Central New York.

In Albany, the state began work on the $14.9-million Delaware Avenue reconstruction project. Callanan Industries of Albany will reconstruct 1.6 mi of the road from Madison Avenue to the Thruway Bridge.

Public projects Rehabilitation plans continue to move forward to preserve and redevelop the historic H.H. Richardson buildings and revive the Frederick Law Olmstead landscape at the original Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane.

The Richardson Center Corp. received $76.5 million in state funds. With planning studies and a structures and landscape report in hand, the organization expected to begin $7.8 million in stabilization measures this year. The work will seal the buildings from further water infiltration, clean several of the buildings and address the dead or dying trees. The action is intended to protect the buildings and to prepare them for new uses.

In Buffalo, the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp., a subsidiary agency of Empire State Development Corp., recently completed demolition of the former Memorial Auditorium to make way for the $315 million Canal Side...