NYSDOT Announces Emergency Repair Work to State Route 42

ALBANY, NY (10/04/2011)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald today announced that emergency reconstruction of State Route 42 in Greene County will begin today and be completed by February 2012. Two bridges and six miles of road were destroyed by severe flooding caused by Hurricane Irene. The work is part of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's ongoing efforts to restore New York's roads and bridges to pre-storm conditions.

"The DOT has been working diligently to restore our roads and bridges at the direction of Governor Cuomo, with nearly all of them reopened to pre-storm conditions," Commissioner McDonald said. "Route 42 will be a top priority of ours until the work is completed. NYSDOT, working with the design and construction industry, is pleased to be utilizing the design/build project delivery method to quickly restore Route 42 to the residents of Ulster and Greene counties."

Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order 19 to aid in the emergency response and speedy recovery of areas ravaged by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The Executive Order authorizes the New York State Department of Transportation to combine design and construction services into single contracts, allowing expedited repair work to vital infrastructure damaged by the recent storms.

In determining the final successful team, the department used the best-value approach, which evaluated the costs and the technical proposals to complete the work submitted by the design-build teams. Halmar International, LLC in combination with McLaren Engineering Group was the best-value team selected with a cost of $14.1 million. This team's proposal was among five that NYSDOT received.

Mike Elmendorf, President and CEO of the Associated General Contractors of New York State, said: "Governor Cuomo, Commissioner McDonald and their teams are to be commended for the manner in which they and the State of New York have risen to the challenge of rebuilding in the destructive wakes of Irene and Lee. New York's contractor community has stood shoulder to shoulder as a partner with the State in those recovery efforts. Today's announcement highlights the innovative, 'can-do' spirit that has long been the hallmark of New Yorkers - and shows just what our industry is capable of doing."

Elmendorf continued: "AGC NYS applauds the Governor for his leadership in taking steps to speed up New York's recovery and accelerate the reconstruction of our critical infrastructure. AGC hopes that the successes we continue to see in rapidly rebuilding under these emergency conditions may pave the way for improving our methods of project delivery under normal circumstances."

Ross Pepe, President of the Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc., said: "Incorporating design-build for transportation projects in New York State is an important step to immediate recovery from the effects of Tropical Storm Irene and, over the longer term, to establish a proven process whereby state governments can deliver infrastructure improvements quickly and at the lowest cost to taxpayers. Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State DOT should be commended for their swift and significant actions to repair and replace roads and bridges damaged or lost due to the storm and its lingering effects and for attempting to bring about this necessary change for New York State."

Jay Simson, President of American Council of Engineering Companies of New York, said: "The engineering community has been proud to be a part of the response effort in light of the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. ACEC NY would like to thank Governor Cuomo and Commissioner McDonald for their leadership and the quick and decisive actions that they have taken to restore damaged infrastructure in the flood damaged areas efficiently and safely. Moving projects forward with the design-build delivery system offers the DOT significant advantages in cost, time, flexibility and accountability versus traditional infrastructure delivery methods."

Denise Richardson, Managing Director of the General Contractors Association of New York, said: "New York State's swift action in rebuilding State Route 42 and the two impacted bridges is vital to the lives and livelihood of the residents and business in Greene County. We are most appreciative that Governor Cuomo has wisely created a mechanism for this work to be completed quickly and efficiently. This is a best case example of how an efficient government response combined with private sector expertise can meet the needs of the taxpayers of New York and restore normalcy to the daily lives of the residents of Greene County."

Marc Herbst, Executive Director of the Long Island Contractors' Association, said: "The Governor needs to be commended for throwing away the traditional bureaucratic red tape that would have prevented a fast, effective response to road and bridge repair in the wake of severe weather. It demonstrates the ability of this administration to reinvent government, work with the resources it has to be far more effective and to put men and women back to work on behalf of an infrastructure that demands attention."