Hill: Safety improvements coming to 'dangerous' Route 77 intersection

Niagara County Legislator Mike Hill said the New York State Department of Transportation traffic group has completed a safety evaluation and will be making safety improvements to the intersection of Lewiston Road (Route 77) and Griswold Street in the Town of Royalton. The intersection has been the site of numerous accidents, including a serious accident with fatalities this past November.

“Our entire community was shaken by the horrific accident last year, so I immediately began working with our Public Works team to see if we could get the state DOT to take action,” Hill said. “And we were just notified they have agreed with us and will be making several initial safety improvements.”

Hill said immediate improvements in the next 30 days include upgrading “stop” and “stop ahead” signs on Griswold Street, and adding reflective stripes to sign posts. Intersection warning signs will be upgraded on Lewiston Road and sign posts will also have reflective stripes added.

Hill said another significant change will be adding flashing beacons to the intersection. DOT needs to design and contract for this part, adding it onto an upcoming project bid. It should be completed next year.

“I appreciate the immediate steps DOT is taking by highlighting the stop signs and intersection warnings, as incoming traffic’s failure to stop at Griswold is a significant source of the problem,” Hill said. “The flashing beacons will also be key to making the intersection much safer.”