The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has closed a two-mile portion of the Lake Ontario State Parkway between Lakeside Beach State Park and Route 98 in the town of Carlton, Orleans County for the winter months effective November 28. The highway will be re-opened upon conclusion of the winter weather.
NYSDOT maintains the Parkway and has been gathering data on the amount of traffic that uses this section of the Parkway and associated maintenance and operating expenses. Closing this short stretch will save an estimated $70,000 by eliminating plowing and salting during the winter months. This will also eliminate damage that plowing causes to the pavement and the bridges over Oak Orchard Creek, saving on springtime repairs and reducing the amount of wear and tear on snowplowing equipment, according to a press release from the NYSDOT.
NYSDOT Regional Director Bob Traver said, “Closing a small portion of the Parkway that gets relatively little use during the winter months translates into significant cost savings that can be applied to other highway maintenance needs in Orleans County.”
During the summer, about 800 cars travel this section of the Parkway every day and the amount of traffic driving this section of the Parkway during the winter months is even lower, according to the DOT. The Parkway already prohibits commercial truck traffic. Motorists will be directed to use Route 18 as a parallel detour route.
