Governor Hochul Announces Plan To Improve Route 17

By Mrs. I. Perl

Governor Hochul announced today that a scoping report on State Route 17 has been completed. The report was done for an upcoming project that will improve the safety and mobility of a 30-mile stretch of Route 17, between Exit 113 in Wurtsboro, Sullivan County, and Interstate 87 in Orange County. 

The project is currently in the early design and review stages, and the report will identify and address the problematic areas and how they can be improved. The plans include building additional lanes to improve access and ease congestion, as well as other concepts to reduce the number of vehicle accidents and bring the road up to interstate standards.

“Like so many of our bridges and highways, State Route 17 is a product of the mid-20th Century that no longer meets the needs and demands of 21st Century New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “This scoping report reflects the ongoing partnership that exists between the state and the community as we seek to reimagine this vital roadway into a modern highway that will reduce congestion, enhance safety, promote tourism and improve quality of life in some of the fastest growing regions of the state.”