Public Works releases 2017 highway repair list as it rolls out new road maintenance machines
By Christian W. Peck
Niagara County Public Information Officer
After a spring spent successfully battling Lake Ontario flooding, Niagara County Public Works Commissioner Garret Meal showcased new machinery acquired by his department for county legislative leaders right before the Independence Day holiday.
Meal and Highway Commissioner Dean Lapp rolled out a newly purchased paver, demonstrating the new machine's capabilities for an audience consisting of the chairmen of the Niagara County Legislature's Infrastructure and Facilities and Community Safety committees before sending the equipment off to tackle their list of priority road repairs.
"Our Public Works Department is having a busy year - but they're achieving real results, and we're glad to see our roadways getting the attention they need," said Legislator John Syracuse, R-Newfane, who chairs the Infrastructure and Facilities Committee. "The Public Works team - and especially Garret Meal and Dean Lapp - deserve a lot of praise for their hard work restoring our damaged Lake Ontario shoreline, and we're glad to see them focused on road repairs as well."
Meal and Lapp launched this year's road repairs more than a month ago. Meal told Syracuse this year's plan is "aggressive but manageable" after the spring's flooding, and in light of the addition of new heavy equipment (including a paver he demonstrated for the legislative delegation). The plan includes several multiyear phased road upgrades.
The roads set for repairs this year include the following:
- Lockport Road (Pendleton Townline to Bear Ridge Road), phase three under construction
- Orangeport Road, milled in June, to be repaved
- Randall Road, reconstruction
- North Beebe Road, reconstruction
- Chestnut Road (Beebe to Route 425), shoulder reconstruction
- Quaker Road, phase two shoulder reconstruction
- West Somerset Road, phase one drainage improvements
- Ransomville Road, shoulder reconstruction
Crack sealing is planned for all county roads.
In the meantime, county work crews are continuing to work with their town counterparts on flood mitigation and shoreline repairs.
"Our Public Works crews have gone above and beyond this year, and their efforts have really been focused on making our citizens safer," said Legislator Dave Godfrey, R-Wilson, who chairs the Community Safety and Security Committee. He joined Syracuse for an afternoon briefing from Meal and Lapp at the Niagara County Highway Garage in Lockport. "From restoring our shoreline, to ensuring our roads - which took a beating with the spring's heavy rains - are safe to drive on, they're doing good work to protect our county residents."