State and local highway departments received more money for construction projects this year, due largely to the federal transportation bill that was signed last year. More money means more projects underway throughout the county this summer. (Photo by Shawn Magrath)

CHENANGO COUNTY – Commuters may have noticed more road work this season, with local towns and villages, the county and the state all vying to have projects completed before the end of the construction season.

More than 20 New York State DOT (NYSDOT) projects are under development in Chenango County, according to the NYSDOT website, with nearly 20 more in development. This doesn’t include the list of projects spearheaded by local municipalities, which have also seen an uptick this summer.

Chenango County DPW Superintendent Shawn Fry said there’s some truth behind claims of more than usual amounts of road work this summer, largely due to the federal infrastructure bill that was signed into law last year.

“We were awarded more money last year and again this year,” said Fry. “With the reward of more money from NYSDOT, we were able to do more road work and infrastructure related work.”

The Chenango County highway department manages 300-plus miles of roads across the county, with 30-40 miles of it slated to be resurfaced this year, mostly in the North Norwich and Smyrna area.

Like the towns and villages, the county’s road maintenance schedule revolves around state reimbursements through NYSDOT’s Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) program. County officials aim to repair roads on a 10-year rotation using CHIPS funding.

“There’s quite a bit of money that came out of federal or state DOT funds that trickled down to counties, towns and villages,” said Fry. “The DOT has more money, too.”

All this means the county has been able to take on more this year, including several resurfacing projects and two major bridge reconstructions.

But with more road work comes more demand for outside contractors. That, explained Fry, is putting a pinch on local and state highway departments that hope to have road work completed before October.

“There’s more out there and everybody’s doing more, but there’s only so many contractors. If the county or the villages, or the towns or the state needs assistance with projects, there’s only so many contractors in the state and everyone is battling over them,” he said.

Despite minor setbacks, Chenango County is on track to complete its list of projects before the end of the construction season, said Fry.