On Thursday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the scoping report for the State Route 17 project in Orange and Sullivan counties had been completed.
The proposed 30-mile project would help reduce motor vehicle crashes, provide access to all users of the transportation system, improve resiliency and clear the way for the road, that ties the Mid-Hudson, Catskills and Southern Tier together, to be designated a federal interstate. The scoping report, officials said, is a step in the environmental review process documenting the evaluation of the preliminary concepts and identifying concepts to be studied further.
Hochul’s office said several alternative are being advanced for detailed study, including additional lanes and new roadway construction at key locations to better separate through traffic from exiting and entering vehicles.
“Like so many of our bridges and highways, State Route 17 is a product of the mid-20th Century that no longer meets the needs and demands of 21st Century New Yorkers,” Hochul said. “This scoping report reflects the ongoing partnership that exists between the state and the community as we seek to reimagine this vital roadway into a modern highway that will reduce congestion, enhance safety, promote tourism and improve quality of life in some of the fastest growing regions of the state.”
The project would invest in improvements between Exit 113 in Wurtsboro in Sullivan County and I-87 in Orange County. Officials said the project’s goal is to address operation and safety deficiencies, decrease congestion and address features that prevent the corridor from meeting interstate standards.
As part of the scoping process, the New York State Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, asked the public for input on the project needs, project concepts and the scope of the issues to be addressed by the project. The feedback helped NYSDOT to advance two “build” alternatives in addition to a “no-build” alternative for further study in an Environmental Impact Statement. NYSDOT is expected to publish a draft EIS for the project next year.