GREENE – About 70 people came out Wednesday for a second public hearing on pavement, safety and drainage improvements proposed for a 5.5 mile stretch of state Route 12 in the Town of Greene.

The estimated $16.9 million project would replace a long deteriorating, 30 plus year-old section of Rt. 12 from just south of Genegantslet Road to just north of Harbor Road in the Town of Greene and improve the intersection overlap of routes 41 and 206.

The project also includes enhancements that were recommended back in the late 1990s by a Chenango County Chamber of Commerce task force. Phase One of the task force’s resulting corridor study was completed in October of 2002.

The project’s design phase is now scheduled to be completed in the summer next year, with construction slated to begin in the spring of 2012, ending in fall 2013.

The primary project objective of the project is to address the pavement, bridges, culverts, drainage and overall safety. Secondary enhancements called for by the Chamber’s Rt. 12 Task Force would improve reliability and mobility with the addition of north and south bound turning lanes and a passing lane.

The amount of funding that will be let next year will largely depend on next year’s budget. Earmarks, in particular, are currently being threatened by the U.S. Senate’s Republican-majority.