Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the completion of all highway paving projects funded through the NY Works program. The program included replacing pavement at 172 sites across New York State, including approximately 2,157 miles of state roadways, as part of $229.9 million in contracts. Paving completed on the Long Island Expressway (Interstate 495) between exits 68 and 73 in Suffolk County was the last project in the program.
“The NY Works program has transformed the way state government works for the people and does business,” Governor Cuomo said. “NY Works aims to improve the state’s transportation infrastructure and increase safety for drivers, while cutting costs for government and creating jobs for our families. More than 2,000 miles of pavement repaired on time and within budget is a significant example of how we are delivering results for New Yorkers today.”
New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald said, “Thanks to Governor Cuomo’s vision, 2012 was an extraordinary year for improving transportation infrastructure in New York State. The infusion of NY Works funding helped to improve the overall health of our State’s roads while creating immediate jobs and supporting economic development across the New York.”
With today’s announcement, the entire paving component of NY Works has been completed on time and within budget less than nine months since Governor Cuomo signed the 2012-2013 Budget, which allowed funding for these projects to move forward. The number of miles of road paved is equivalent to a round trip from New York City to Orlando, Florida.
The NY Works program represented a different way of doing business for New York State, expediting projects to immediately create jobs, address critical infrastructure needs, and achieve savings. Rather than executing 172 different contracts for 172 different segments of road, projects were consolidated into 24 regional contracts. Bundling project sites that were located closely together into a single contract was a more efficient process and enabled DOT to lower expenses and to obtain lower bids.
The paving portion of NY Works focused on improving roads that were in fair condition and bringing their condition to good. This preventive maintenance work better preserves the state’s infrastructure and helps guard against the need for more costly, in-depth construction.
