HAMBURG, N.Y. -- Big changes are coming to a portion of Route 5 in Hamburg in order to make it safer.
According to the Department of Transportation, the intersection of Route 5 and Bayview Road is 13 times more accident prone than other similar intersections around the state.
"The statewide accident rate for similar facilities is .07, and we were looking at, in one direction on Route 5, .9 and the other .4,” said Susan Surdej, a regional DOT spokesperson.
Most accidents are tied to the Bayview Road median, which currently allows cars to turn onto Route 5 or cross it, if they can accelerate in time to beat the oncoming traffic.
There have been two fatalities there ... "which is causing us to undertake this safety project,” Surdej said.
In the DOT's proposal, the Bayview median would be closed entirely to make it safer. That's one of the biggest changes. Next is the extension of a road to accommodate the newer FedEx plant.
Lake Erie Boulevard is currently an industrial access road off of Bayview. It will be extended to meet at Route 5 with a new traffic light.
Finally, Hoover Road is going to be realigned to also meet at the new intersection.
"And then we'd also create an access road off Hoover Road to get back into the industrial area, and it would be a 'T' intersection with Hoover Road and a cul-de-sac on the north end,” Surdej explained. The cul-de-sac means Hoover Road's current access to Route 5 near the Ford plant will close.
The Lake Erie Boulevard extension is already under construction and will be ready along with the new traffic signal later this year.
The state-funded project is about $2 million. The rest of the work will start later this year and last into 2017.
The DOT says Route 5 westbound will also have a designated right-hand turn lane for those turning onto Hoover at the new four-way intersection. They say that addition came from residents' request at last year's public information meeting.