Two public meetings were held this week with the NYS Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
The winning proposal in the Skyway Corridor Competition was announced in September 2019. The Rochester group plan is called “City of Lights: Re-View our Waterfront.”
Now the public will until Feb. 28 to comment on the project.
Comments can be submitted to buffalo.skyway@dot.ny.gov, or by U.S. mail to Buffalo Skyway Project Team, NYSDOT Region 5, 100 Seneca Street, Buffalo, NY 14203.
Options being considered for traffic flow include improving city streets and better synchronizing traffic signals; extending Tift Street to the I-190 by using railroad property; or constructing a highway connector between Tift Street and the I-190.
The plan was submitted by SWBR, Fisher Associates and MRB Group from Rochester will be designed to “remove barriers separating the City of Buffalo from its waterfront.”
Key parts to the plan include:
- Removal of the Skyway from Church Street to Prime Street, along with access ramps – leaving 12 acres available for development in downtown and Canalside.
- A piece of the Skyway high-level bridge will be re-purposed as “Skyway Park” to provide iconic views and recreational options.
The project cost is estimated at $600 million and the state will contribute $10 million for an environmental impact study.
