The Oneonta roundabout project finally has a public timeline of construction.
State Department of Transportation officials announced this week that construction on the new roundabout at James F. Lettis Highway/state Route 23 and Main Street/state Route 7 is scheduled to begin May 27 and conclude at the end of November, with potential delays for weather or resource availability.
The project will convert the intersection of Lettis Highway and Main Street into a single-lane roundabout. New sidewalks, lighting and signage, including flashing beacons, will be installed to enhance safety for pedestrians as well as new drainage systems and landscaping.
Work on the project got underway this month with a tree removal and other site preparation activities.
Four NYSDOT representatives presented the information during the Common Council meeting Tuesday, April 15.
The majority of construction is expected to take place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, with occasional Saturday or night work, officials said.
Traffic on Main Street and Lettis Highway will be disrupted during construction due to road closures, with detours around the intersection for vehicles and a pedestrian taxi to shuttle people along Lettis Highway. NYSDOT will add signage on Interstate 88 informing drivers of the construction and directing them to use alternate routes.
Detours are expected to end by mid-October, although flaggers may still be necessary for temporary traffic control.
Travel advisories will be sent to New York 511, from which Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze upload information to their mapping systems to help people navigate the detours.
Phased construction
The work will be done in two construction phases. Phase 1 is expected to last three months. The intersection will be closed to all through traffic other than vehicles traveling eastbound on Main Street to Lettis Highway southbound and vehicles traveling northbound on Lettis Highway to Main Street northeast bound. Access to the post office and its parking lot at 352 Main St. will be maintained throughout construction. Miller Park and Curtis Park will be closed during this phase.
Phase 2 is expected to last one to two months. Access to Lettis Highway southbound will be closed and all traffic approaching the intersection from the west will be detoured around the intersection. Vehicles traveling northbound on Lettis Highway will not be able to turn right onto Main Street. Curtis Park will reopen during Phase 2, but Miller Park will remain closed.
Throughout the project, there will be sidewalk closures and detours around the intersection during all phases of work. All detours will be posted through signs and modified accordingly as they progress construction on the sidewalks.
A free, 24-hour taxi service for pedestrians will be available at four stops when there is no accessible detour option. Upon request, an ADA accessible taxi will be available. The taxi provider will be selected by the contractor.
Why a roundabout?
Andrew Stiles, regional director for NYSDOT Region 9, said Wednesday that the traffic signal at intersection is nearing the end of its service life. Anytime there is a decision whether to replace a traffic signal, officials consider whether a roundabout is a good option.
“Looking more closely, we felt the roundabout is better alternative,” Stiles said. Even if DOT had decided against building a roundabout, “we would be doing a project to replace and upgrade the service signal.”
“The roundabout will operate better in this area,” he said, “so traffic can flow more smoothly at lower traffic speed and make the intersection safer.”
Many downtown business owners have expressed concerns about the impact on business during construction, worrying that people would find having to navigate detours a reason to avoid downtown completely.
“There will always be some inconvenience,” Stiles said. “There’s no way to avoid it entirely, but we always strike to mitigate it.”
That involves ongoing communication about construction updates through travel advisories, ensuring local business owners, city officials, the colleges and emergency services are kept informed.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s said in a statement Thursday that Oneonta, “is a true gem of the I-88 corridor, with a robust, walkable downtown, thriving businesses and thousands of college students making this Mohawk Valley community their temporary home every year. We want to make sure that everyone in Oneonta reaches their destinations as safely as possible, and that’s just what this new roundabout and other community enhancements will provide.”
State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said in a statement that investing in transportation infrastructure creates safer systems that reduce conflicts and minimize the likelihood of fatal crashes, “with the goal getting to zero fatalities, because even one death on our highway system is too many.”
“This new roundabout will benefit the entire Oneonta community,” Dominguez said, “creating more efficient vehicle flow and enhancing safety for the many residents, visitors and students who travel to and from this beautiful city and its many attractions each day.”
More information and updates on the project can be found online at www.dot.ny.gov/oneontaroundabout.