ANCHOR: Chesnut Hill Middle School in Liverpool hosted a public meeting tonight for the Department of Transportation to preview potential changes to Onondaga Lake Parkway. NCC News’ Frankie Vernouski has more on what could come and the general reaction to it.
Frankie: Onondaga Lake Parkway–A problem of speed and a bridge–both creating problems that the state knew it had to fix.
RODRIGUEZ: The two primary safety issues are the bridge being too low, trucks hitting it, but the other one that I think is more significant is the head-on accidents.
FRANKIE: According the the state, there have been over 60 crashes in the past three years. Just as big of a problem is the bridge being hit, which Rodriguez says CSXT, the company that owns it, does not want to replace.
RODRIGUEZ: So as long as the state is willing to pay for replacing the bridge and there’s minimal disruption to their line, they might entertain a replacement in the future.
FRANKIE: So as of now, there will just be an increase in warning signs before the bridge. Here at Chestnut Middle School where the meeting was held, there was a general consensus of disappointment. Disappointment because it doesn’t matter how much signage you put up, people are still going to run through it, and hit the bridge.
Sheriff Conway: But I am obviously beyond the point of being frustrated about the fact that we continue to respond to calls where people can’t heed the warnings and wind up hitting that bridge.
OAKES: They’ve already done signs. They’ve already done lights. They’ve already done signals. They’ve already done detectors that detect how high the truck is. All of it stops nothing. Everything remains exactly the same it has been for the last 72 plus years.
FRANKIE: Other potential changes include dropping the speed limit to 45 year-round and dropping from four lanes to two. Frankie Vernouski, NCC News.
LIVERPOOL, N.Y. (NCC News)—General discontent. The previewed changes did not sit well with the public that attended the DOT’s informational meeting at Chestnut Hill Middle School.
“So my way home is going to be a one-way Onondaga Lake Parkway,” one individual said. The comment, in jest, was followed by laughter.
“It’s just going to back up Old Liverpool Road,” another attendee complained.
“This isn’t going to solve anything,” said another.
The changes that produced the disgruntled responses: reducing the parkway from four lanes to two, dropping the speed limit year-round to 45 miles-per-hour, a raised median and increased signage to warn drivers of the notoriously low, 10’ 9” bridge.
The last of those changes produced the most reaction. Included in that would also be more high-tech sensors to detect any vehicles that will not clear the bridge. Onondaga County Sheriff Eugene Conway said there is no point in spending more money on signage when “idiot drivers” continually ignore it as is.
“But I am obviously beyond the point of being frustrated about the fact that we continue to respond to calls where people can’t heed the warnings and wind up hitting the bridge.”
Ed Rodriguez, an Assistant Design Engineer for the project, said the DOT’s hands were tied with the bridge. CSXT, the company that owns it would not support any adjustments to the bridge. On the other hand, Rodriguez said, the parkway could not be lowered at all due to flood levels from the lake. So, the height remains the same.
“There’s just no way to change clearance of the bridge,” Rodriguez said. “So as long as the state is willing to pay for replacing the bridge and there’s minimal disruption to their [CSXT’s] line, they [CSXT] might entertain a replacement in the future. That’s a long process, though.”
If changes are approved, the project is expected to be finished by summer or fall of 2022.
