Culvert complete! Route 202 in Somers reopens

SOMERS, N.Y. - Just in time for the start of school, Route 202 in Somers has been reopened.

The busy state road was closed on July 13 between Firemen’s Field and the Somers Middle School’s parking lot in order to accommodate the state Department of Transportation’s culvert replacement project.

Supervisor Robert Scorrano and Arnie Guyot, a historical society trustee, marked the happy occasion on Tuesday, Sept. 1, by being the first to cross the new structure.

They rode in style in the town’s 1917 Ford Model T Roadster, which is part of the Wright-Reis Homestead’s collection. The classic car and Guyot have frequently taken part in town celebrations.

State Assemblyman Matt Slater took a spin as well.

“After a summer of construction and detours, an automobile that's been part of Somers history for more than a century will help us open a new chapter,” Scorrano said.

The state had originally planned to begin the multi-million-dollar project in February but postponed it until after the school year to avoid disrupting 19 school bus routes, which officials said could have added 35 to 45 minutes to some students' commutes.

Work had been scheduled to begin June 29 but was delayed while Verizon crews completed utility work.

Schools Superintendent Dr. Adam Bronstein was “thrilled” that the DOT was able to complete the project in time for the start of school.

Just in case in wasn’t, the district’s administrative team had developed a comprehensive contingency plan that involved changing start and end times at all four of its schools.

The goal being to mitigate potential bus and traffic delays.

“Thankfully, this plan was not needed and we opened on time today with our typical schedules,” Bronstein told the school community

He thanked town officials and local legislators” for their advocacy to ensure the DOT and lead contractor completed this work for the opening of school here in Somers.”

“When I shared the number of students, families and staff that would be impacted by an ongoing closure, this resonated with everyone and they got the job done for us!" he added.

Town Highway Superintendent Nick DeVito was breathing a sigh of relief as well.

In the beginning, DeVito admitted having doubts about the project being completed in time for the school district’s reopening.

However, he was happy to say that the DOT did “an excellent job, even with the late start.”

The contractor went above and beyond too despite the tight schedule, DeVito added.

DeVito credited the project’s timely conclusion to the town’s keeping on top of things and the nudging of the DOT by Slater up in Albany.

“When you can get both levels together, that’s great,” he said.

DeVito also praised the herculean efforts of local first responders who, he said, “had to jump through hoops to make sure they could serve the community the same way they always have.”

That wasn’t easy when the one of the town’s main drags was essentially cut in half.

Covering certain parts of Heritage Hills, a condo complex with 2,600 units off Route 202, was a concern.

Part of the planning efforts required moving some apparatus/equipment from the Somers Fire House on Route 202 to the fire house on Route 139 in Lincolndale.

“Everyone buckled down and worked together,” DeVito said.

In June, he had posted a video on the highway department’s Facebook page, saying he knew that folks were going to feel “upset” about the inconvenience the project was going to pose.

“But I got to tell you, it’s a good thing. The state is spending a bunch of money (on infrastructure improvements) in Somers right now, in fact $15 million,” he said, noting that he had been complaining for years about the state of state roads in the town and that Scorrano had “been lobbying in Albany to make sure our infrastructure at the state level is being taken care of.”

Of that, $6 million was dedicated to the Route 202 and the Route 100 culvert projects. The rest will go toward the repaving of Routes 118, 139, and 202 starting next spring.

The Route 100 culvert project, completed last winter, didn’t seem to go as well as the more recent one.

According to DeVito, in that case the town didn’t get as much of a heads-up, it took twice as long as expected, and the signage appeared to cause some confusion, resulting in motorists cutting through some certain streets and aggravating residents.

Nevertheless, he was grateful for all the work that the state DOT is doing.

“From my perspective, as someone who always stands on a soapbox and says the state won’t spend any money, here they are doing it so I think it’s a good thing for the town overall,” DeVito had said in his June post.

In January, Scorrano had thanked Slater and state Sen. Pete Harckham for “their commitment to working together in securing the necessary funding” for the long-overdue repairs.

“This investment will improve safety for all our residents, commuters, and local businesses,” he said.

Last week, Scorrano pointed to the timely completion of the Route 202 culvert project as “a great example of what can happen when state agencies, local government, our schools, elected officials, contractors and first responders work together toward a common goal.”

He thanked the DOT, JR Cruz Corp. (the construction company), Slater, the school district, Bronstein, the town’s Highway Department, the Town Board, and the Route 202 Culvert Committee for “their partnership, coordination, and hard work throughout this project.”

Members of the committee included school and town officials, members of local emergency services, and Heritage Hills security folks.

Scorrano also thanked residents for their “patience, understanding and cooperation during the closure.”