OLEAN, N.Y. — Cattaraugus County Emergency Services and local police, fire and ambulance officials are scrambling to firm up mutual aid plans for the closing of Interstate 86 between Allegany and Limestone for five weeks beginning Oct. 28.
Emails about the closing from the state Department of Transportation were received by local municipal officials, fire and law enforcement on Wednesday.
For some, the prospect of a 7-mile detour on the winding, two-lane Route 419 from Route 219 to West Five Mile Road for more than a month is not a pleasant thought.
Susan Surdej, public information officer for DOT Region 5 said the closure is needed to replace a culvert that passes under both the eastbound and westbound lanes of I-86 between exits 23 and 24.
Some settling along the side of the road this summer alerted DOT staff to deterioration of the culvert that could lead to failure. Engineers at DOT began drawing up plans for replacement of the culvert and hired Catco Construction, Alden, under a standby contractor agreement.
Surdej said the decision was made to shut down both the eastbound and westbound lanes at the same time because the culvert replacement could be done faster.
“Although inconvenient, it will be much less disruptive,” she explained. The 7.3-mile detour “is not that bad a detour.”
DOT is in the process of installing three temporary traffic signals at the exit 23 interchange, one at Route 219 and 417 and another at Route 417 and West Five Mile Road. “That will help facilitate traffic,” Surdej said.
It’s important the culvert replacement begin soon so it can be completed before winter sets in, Surdej said. “We just ask people to be patient” during the project.
The DOT has worked with area municipalities and the Seneca Nation of Indians in regard to the I-86 culvert replacement and Route 417 detour, Surdej said.
Carrollton Supervisor Robert Rinfrette just learned about the upcoming I-86 closure Thursday when he checked his emails.
“There aren’t too many options” for traveling between Route 219 and Allegany when you close I-86, Rinfrette observed. Route 417 used to be the main road between Salamanca and Olean. “There’s a lot more traffic now. No one is used to driving on it anymore. It’s two lanes.”
Allegany Supervisor James Harrington said he was not aware of the upcoming closure of I-86. “That’s going to make a big difference,” he said of the Route 417 detour.
According to Surdej, I-86 has an average daily traffic count of 12,750 vehicles between Exits 23 and 24. The average daily traffic count for Route 417 between Route 219 and West Five Mile Road is 3,250 vehicles.
Cattaraugus County Emergency Services Director Chris Baker said he just learned about the I-86 closure on Wednesday.
“We’re concerned with the response to an accident on Route 417 or potentially South Nine Mile Road,” Baker said Thursday. “We’re meeting with area fire departments about mutual aid plans Tuesday night. We need to have a plan in place.”
The county’s 911 emergency dispatch and sheriff’s patrol are also being included in the planning, Baker said.
All eastbound traffic will exit at exit 23 in Carrollton and turn north on Route 219, east on Route 417 and north on West Five Mile Road to exit 24 eastbound.
Westbound traffic will exit at exit 24 in Allegany, turn south on West Five Mile Road, west on Route 417 and south on Route 219.
