$6.4 Million Modernization to Bridge and Culvert on Route 17B Completed

    Driving to the Catskills just got a lot safer and easier, thanks to the completion of a $6.4 million new bridge and culvert modernization project on Route 17B in Sullivan County, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Friday.

     In addition to modernizing old and substandard river crossings for drivers, both the new bridge and culvert feature 12-foot-wide lanes and 12-foot-wide shoulders that enhance safely for pedestrians and bicyclists.

     “This project replaced aging infrastructure nearing the end of its useful life with modern structures that will improve resiliency and make it easier for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to enjoy all the beauty the region has to offer,” explained New York State Department of Transportation (NYS DOT) Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez.

     In the summer of 2019, NYS DOT workers first replaced the culvert, which is a tunnel that carries water, to allow Route 17B to safety pass over Creamery Brook. Then, in the spring of 2020, during the height of COVID, workers reconstructed the bridge over the Mongaup River.

     "This project, which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, shows what New Yorkers can achieve even under the most difficult of circumstances," Gov. Cuomo said. "The new bridge and culvert will make it easier for residents and visitors alike to travel through the beautiful Catskills region: fueling tourism and economic growth - and demonstrating yet again that we are not just building back but building back better.”