BUFFALO, New York — The New York State Department of Transportation on Wednesday gathered more public input on the plan to cover part of the Route 33/Kensington Expressway as part of a Hamlin Park community reconnection project in East Side Buffalo.
Top engineers also provided an update.
As we've told you before, the current $922 million proposal, with committed state and federal funding, calls for construction of a landscaped tunnel to cover about eight-tenths of a mile of the Kensington Expressway.
That cap would be the base for a restored Humboldt Parkway with three feet of soil and trees up to 50 feet tall. There would also be those overpasses for cross streets to reconnect the Humboldt Parkway, which has been a long time goal of the Restore our Community Coalition.
One member of the group told the DOT in the public meeting that, "I feel it's something we need to move forward with because the ROCC organization has been instrumental in making sure that they did not give up the fight."
But now we are also seeing a DOT-produced animation video, which shows that tunnel stretching from Dodge Street near the Science Museum to Sydney Street, with a somewhat narrower structure containing three lanes each way for east and westbound traffic.
The DOT says during the estimated three to four-year period of construction, they will be able to keep at least two lanes of expressway traffic flowing.
"We have done work in urban areas such as New York City where we take all these considerations and minimize the impact," DOT chief engineer Nick Choubah said.
Of course that may be easier said than done. 2 On Your Side asked for examples, and Choubah mentioned the Van Wyck Expressway in New York City, which connects with JFK Airport and the Hunters Point Project in the Bronx.
We found New York City media reports of behind schedule work and cost overruns, unexpected issues such as lead contamination and boulders, and some closed or shifting lanes and blocked ramps, which caused major traffic issues that were even described as a nightmare for drivers.
For some Buffalo residents, they have other concerns regarding the Kensington project, such as construction noise and potential blasting in the recessed roadbed built in the late 1950s.. One woman in the meeting said "because the houses, most of the houses were built before 1940, that's a concern that we have. Explosions and so on is going to affect the properties as far as construction."
Another resident raised questions about pollution and dust issues. Choubah said they actually expect pollution levels to drop with a sophisticated ventilation and fans in this tunnel project.
He added: "Basically we're looking at noise, We're looking at pollution. We're looking at every element that will cause an impact to the residents and we will mitigate it."
If the Federal Highway Administration approves, construction could begin in 2025 for a three to four-year timeline.
DOT says no residents or businesses would have to relocate but there might be some minor land taking in yards for traffic circles on Best Street.