New York Construction Report staff writer
The draft design report and environmental assessment for Buffalo’s Kensington Expressway project is now available for public review and comment. The report details the social, economic, and environmental effects of the project and outlines measures to mitigate any adverse effects.
Copies of the DDR/EA are available for review and copying online at the project website or at the following locations:
- Buffalo City Hall, 65 Niagara Square, Buffalo, NY 14202
- Central Library, 1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY, 14203
- Frank E. Merriweather Library, 1324 Jefferson Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14208
- New York State Department of Transportation, 100 Seneca Street, Buffalo, NY 14203.
- Project Outreach Office, 878 Humboldt Parkway, Buffalo, NY 14211
The State Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration will host a public hearing on the Kensington Expressway on Sept. 27 at the Buffalo Museum of Science, 1020 Humboldt Parkway. Two sessions are open to the public – 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Both sessions will start with an hour-long open house followed by formal presentations.
Written comments on the DDR/EA can also be submitted via email to kensingtonexpressway@dot.ny.gov, or by U.S. mail to Kensington Expressway Project Team, NYSDOT Region 5, 100 Seneca Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, until October 27. Following the public comment period and public hearing, the EA process will conclude with either a finding of no significant impact or a determination that an environmental impact statement (EIS) is required.
Constructed during the 1950s and 1960s, the Kensington Expressway replaced what had been a grand, tree-lined boulevard – the historic Humboldt Parkway designed by Frederick Law Olmsted – with a below-grade highway that cut through the heart of the surrounding neighborhoods. Torn apart, the community experienced decline and wide-ranging challenges that exist to this day.
For more information about the Kensington Expressway project in East Buffalo, click here.
