A $3.9 million project to replace four culverts along U.S. Route 11 in Franklin County is about to get underway.

The project will replace aging structures with modern, precast concrete culverts that will improve storm resiliency and enhance safety along a vital highway for the flow of goods and people in the North Country.

“Improving our infrastructure is a major priority,” said Sen. Daniel Stec. “The culvert replacement project along Route 11 will replace these aging structures with new ones that will be safer and more modern. Once completed, these updates will ensure an important road is able to continue playing a key role for our economy and communities.”

The roadway serves as a key connector between the Lake Ontario and Lake Champlain regions and is often used by travelers to access Interstate 81, major educational institutions such as Clarkson University and St. Lawrence University, and recreational destinations in the Adirondacks.

Assemblyman Billy Jones said, “Route 11 is a major thoroughfare in the North Country, and everyone deserves the peace of mind that the roads they travel everyday are safe.This construction will help protect drivers during heavy rains and severe weather events and is an example of why I push so hard for infrastructure funding every year. New York needs to continue to invest in our roads and I will keep pushing for the resources the North Country needs to make sure our roads are safe.”

Culverts are structures that channel water underneath roads or sidewalks, improving their ability to withstand heavy rains and other severe weather events. New precast concrete culverts will be installed along U.S. Route 11 at the following locations:

• Adjacent to the Clark Street intersection in the Town of Moira

• Just east of River Bend Avenue, near the Village of Brushton

• Adjacent to the Gallop Road intersection between Brushton and North Bangor

• Adjacent to the Lee Road intersection between Brushton and North Bangor

The work at each site will require off-site detours and traffic will be detoured around the sites using Route 11B and County Routes 5, 7 and 16. The detour routes will be signed, and electronic sign boards have been deployed in advance of the start of work. The project is expected to be complete by the summer of 2024.

The project builds on the success of other recent NYSDOT improvements along U.S. Route 11, including the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Mill and LeRay streets just outside the City of Watertown, in the Town of Pamelia, Jefferson County; and the replacement of the bridge carrying U.S. Route 11 bridge over the CSX Railroad in the Town of DeKalb, St. Lawrence County.

Motorists are urged to slow down and drive responsibly in work zones. Fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. Convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual’s driver license.

“New York State continues to make critically important investments that will allow our roads and bridges to withstand the demands of the 21st Century and keep our communities connected and growing,” New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said. “These new culverts on U.S. Route 11 will help ensure that this vital roadway is better able to handle the challenges of severe weather and continue to serve North Country motorists for many years to come.”