WASHINGTON – Both houses of Congress stamped their approval over the weekend for an appropriations bill that includes nearly $500,000 for improvements to the New York State Route 12 corridor in Chenango County.

If President Obama signs it, and the New York State Department of Transportation decides to run with it, the funding would go toward the engineering and design phase for completing a bypass around the City of Norwich via county Rt. 32, or East River Road.

Approximately 5.1 miles of highway in the Town of Norwich from the Rt. 32 intersection at state Rt. 23 to the intersection with state Rt. 12 in North Norwich would be widened and paved. The project would include replacing three bridges, some traffic control devices, and a storm water collection system.

Construction costs are estimated to be about $20 million, according to Chenango County Public Works Director Randy Gibbon.

The bypass is not currently listed on the state’s construction schedule, however, despite year’s of planning improvements to the corridor from Binghamton to Utica.