New Erie County Department of Public Works' highway barn in Lancaster nears completion

$9.2 million investment replaces 120-year-old Clarence facility, improves operations

√ Poloncarz, Geary, officials sign steel beam to top off structure

Submitted by the Press Secretary to the County Executive

The Erie County Department of Public Works’ Highways Division is nearing completion of a new highway barn on Cemetery Road in Lancaster that will replace an obsolete barn in Clarence the DPW had been using for operations. The $9.2 million investment creates a far more efficient, effective, and better-located structure for departmental operations in the district.

Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz was joined today by Erie County Commissioner of Public Works Bill Geary, Erie County Legislator Frank Todaro (8th District), and DPW personnel to review the new building and sign a steel beam that will “top off” the structure.

“This new highway barn replaces an aged building that was serviceable over the years but wasn’t designed to be a highway barn in the first place. With this investment, we have a new facility that can serve the modern needs of the Highway Department,” Poloncarz said. “We will continue investing in infrastructure and operations to better serve county residents.”

Located at 125 Cemetery Road in Lancaster, the new barn is a 21,500-square-foot, pre-engineered steel building with an attached 2,500-square-foot attached support suite. The suite is equipped with a vehicle storage area, five overhead doors, three vehicle repair bays, mezzanine, welding area, wash bay, offices, locker rooms, secure storage, break room and equipment rooms.

Geary added, “Having this new facility will greatly improve the efficiency of our operations year-round but especially in the winter plowing season. This location is more central to the district and gives us the ability to be on the roads quicker, while at the same time providing the modern facilities that our fleet requires.”

For more information on the Erie County Department of Public Works, visit https://www3.erie.gov/dpw/.