Governor Hochul Announces Award of $44.5 Million Contract to Replace Best Street Bridge Over Kensington Expressway in Buffalo

Governor Hochul Announces Award of $44.5 Million Contract to Replace Best Street Bridge Over Kensington Expressway in Buffalo

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the award of a $44.5 million contract to replace the Best Street Bridge over the Kensington Expressway in Buffalo, a major milestone in the transformative project to reconnect and revitalize the neighborhoods that were torn apart by the highway's construction. This contract is the first segment of this historic project, which, when completed, will replace the below-grade highway with a six-lane tunnel and provide much needed greenspace for the entire community. In addition to the replacement of the Best Street Bridge, the contract, which was awarded to Union Concrete and Construction Corp. of West Seneca, NY, calls for the creation of a new multiuse path and two new roundabouts that will enhance safety, reduce congestion and improve mobility for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists alike.

"The Kensington Expressway carved a deep wound in the fabric of East Buffalo and the time has come to begin stitching it back together," Governor Hochul said. "With the award of this contract, we are continuing beyond the decades of debate and indecision over what to do about this relic of the mid-20th century and into a new period of action that will yield a reconnected and reenergized community."

In February 2023, the Biden Administration announced an award of $55.59 million for the Kensington Expressway project through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Reconnecting Communities Program. The program, established by President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is a first-of-its-kind initiative to reconnect communities that are cut off from opportunity and burdened by past transportation infrastructure decisions. The Best Street Bridge contract will utilize approximately $23 million of this funding for construction.

The contract calls for the replacement of the Best Street Bridge over the Kensington Expressway with a wider, more resilient structure that will accommodate the new roundabouts as well as a new, 10-foot-wide multiuse path for pedestrians and bicyclists. The new bridge and roundabouts will feature crosswalks, pedestrian priority signage and appropriate lighting at night. There will also be landscaping in the center of the roundabouts as well as landscaping beds along the sides of the multiuse path.

One roundabout will replace the signalized intersections of Best Street with the State Route 33 ramps; and the other will replace the adjacent signalized intersection between Best Street, Herman Street and West Parade Avenue. The State Route 33 eastbound and westbound off-ramps will also be modified providing two lanes on each ramp.

Replacement of the Best Street Bridge is the first part of the New York State Department of Transportation's historic Kensington Expressway project. In February, Governor Hochul announced that the Federal Highway Administration had issued a "Finding of No Significant Impact," which signaled the end of the formal environmental assessment process and cleared the way for NYSDOT to advance to the final design stages.

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, "The Kensington Expressway Project is a hallmark of Governor Hochul's commitment to the City of Buffalo and her vision to invest in projects across New York State that not only modernize our infrastructure, but also reconnect communities, creating generational opportunities for economic empowerment for the people who live and work here. From the Bronx to Buffalo - New York, under Governor Kathy Hochul is doing more to leverage transportation infrastructure investments in support of revitalizing the economies of cities across New York state. The award of this first contract is a significant milestone towards repairing the damage that was caused by this highway's construction and reconnecting the neighborhoods of East Buffalo."

Representative Tim Kennedy said, "Today's funding is an essential step in transforming the Kensington Expressway and addressing the planning mistakes of the past in order to reconnect neighbors and neighborhoods on our city's East Side. Replacing the Best Street Bridge, including the construction of roundabouts, will improve safety for motorists, walkers, and cyclists alike, while creating jobs right here in Buffalo. Infrastructure investments like this one are providing future generations with greater mobility, green space, and access to opportunity."

Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes said, "This project has been a vision and dream of the community since the early 1990's. Today, we are one step closer to making it a reality. I look forward to addressing a historical wrong, reconnecting neighborhoods, putting area residents to work, and improving overall safety."

Assemblymember Monica P. Wallace said, "The new Best Street Bridge is an important project to reconnect and revitalize the East Side of Buffalo, while both improving walkability and ensuring the steady flow of traffic throughout our region. I applaud Governor Hochul for continuing to invest in Western New York, and I look forward to seeing this project come to fruition."

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said, "Today marks a major milestone in reconnecting and revitalizing the Hamlin Park neighborhood, which has been divided for far too long by the Kensington Expressway. This transformative project is a testament to the power of collaboration and the tireless work of community leaders who have advocated for change for decades, including the late Stephanie Barber-Geter and the Restore Our Community Coalition members. We are grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul and all of our community partners for their commitment to making this vision a reality. Together, we are building stronger, more vibrant neighborhoods that will benefit future generations in the City of Buffalo."

Buffalo Common Council Majority Leader Leah M. Halton-Pope said, "This announcement marks a significant step towards reconnecting our community and restoring the bonds that were severed decades ago. This project is more than infrastructure; it's about renewing East Buffalo's sense of community, enhancing safety, and ensuring that our neighborhoods are accessible and welcoming for all and I am grateful for Governor Hochul's commitment to this transformative initiative."

Masten District Council Woman Zeneta B. Everhart said, "The Best Street Bridge replacement is a big step to restore unity and accessibility on the East Side of Buffalo. This project will not only improve transportation but also serve as a starting catalyst for economic development and community revitalization. This is the first step toward honoring the decades long work of R.O.C.C and the late Stephanie Barber-Geter. I want to commend Governor Hochul for her dedication to our neighborhoods and their future."

Buffalo NAACP President Rev. Mark Blue said, "For far too long, the Kensington Expressway has divided our community. This project represents a significant step toward healing a community that has been fractured for decades. I commend Governor Hochul for her leadership in bringing this long held community vision to fruition."

Restore Our Community Coalition Board Member Sydney Brown said, "On behalf of the community advocates who have championed this project from its very beginnings, the awarding of this first contract confirms Governor Hochul's commitment to see this project through to its goal of reuniting our community once again."

Restore our Community Coalition Original Member Richard A. Cummings said, "This is a proud day for ROCC as we worked for more than 20 years to secure the support and the funding for this project that Governor Hochul announced in February. ROCC will continue to work to make sure this community reinvestment remains an investment in workforce and contracting opportunities for our community."

Laborers' Local 210 President Sam Capitano said, "What an exciting announcement. Finally, as originally designed, the Kensington Expressway is one step closer to being capped and covered and our East Side community reconnected. This first phase is not only great for our community, but also for the Building Trades members of our Eastside community Union Concrete Construction already employs and will employ. As President of Laborers Local 210, I'm pleased and proud to see a long time, home grown, signatory employer like Union Concrete awarded the Best Street Project!"

Hamlin Park Community and Taxpayers Association President Esterphine Greene said, "This is wonderful news and a testament to the unwavering faith of Stephanie Barber Geter, our fearless leader who is shouting gratitude from the heavens that we are finally here and we are going to get this done. Thank you to Governor Hochul and all those who believed in Stephanie's vision."

Buffalo Museum of Science President and CEO Gary Siddall said, "I applaud Governor Hochul for her continued dedication and enthusiasm towards the East Buffalo community. We have witnessed the Governor's strategic approach to community engagement and creating opportunities for feedback, including an ongoing series of stakeholder meetings hosted at our City of Buffalo facility. Like the Governor, we are deeply committed to our host community and hopeful about its future."

Constructed during the 1950s and 1960s, the Kensington Expressway replaced what had been a grand, tree-lined boulevard - the historic Humboldt Parkway designed by Frederick Law Olmsted - with a below-grade highway that cut through the heart of the surrounding neighborhoods in East Buffalo. To right the wrongs of this historical injustice and its long-lasting impact, Governor Hochul has set aside $1 billion for the project, which includes providing new green space to reconnect the community.

Proposed project highlights include:

• Replacement of the below-grade expressway with a 4,150-foot-long, six-lane tunnel between Dodge Street and Sidney Street.
• Creation of a 90-foot-wide, tree lined median on top of the tunnel, providing approximately 11 acres of new, publicly accessible greenspace.
• Reconstruction of Humboldt Parkway while implementing "Complete Street" roadway design features
• Rehabilitation of 9 miles of local streets, including resurfacing and replacement of sidewalks, curbs, driveway aprons, lighting, signals and new tree plantings as needed.
• Replacement of Best Street Bridge and creation of a roundabout at the Best Street interchange.

The latest information about the project, including Frequently Asked Questions, is available at the project website.

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