Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz was joined today by members of the Greater Buffalo Niagara Regional Transportation Council (“GBNRTC”) and representatives of the Erie County Department of Public Works’ Highways Division to announce road work planned for Tonawanda Creek Road to be conducted with funding received through the federal Transportation Improvement Program (“TIP”). The GBNRTC approved a $9.4 million allocation for Tonawanda Creek Road Rehabilitation and Slide Area Stabilizations earlier today as part of a 17-project amendment to the 2017-21 TIP, which includes a variety of road and infrastructure projects around Erie and Niagara counties.

“I want to thank the members of the GBNRTC for their careful consideration of this necessary project and for approving the funding to make it happen. While the area of Tonawanda Creek Road affected by the slide is relatively small, it is a tremendous expense and not one that Erie County could manage by itself,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “Tonawanda Creek Road is not a quick or an easy fix and will require extensive work to not only resurface the road but more importantly stabilize it to prevent further sliding. This is a far more costly, intensive and involved rehabilitation process than what we normally see when our roads are repaired and repaved. My administration remains committed to improving infrastructure all across Erie County, and with this funding secured Tonawanda Creek Road will see improvements as well.”

In June 2014 slope failure occurred on the section of Tonawanda Creek Road between Westphalinger and Northfield roads, with the shoulder of the road sliding into Tonawanda Creek in a subsidence event that continues to this day. This subsidence issue continued to worsen in the two years since then and has resulted in a roadway that is now closed to through traffic and has only limited access for the eight (8) homes located in the affected stretch of road. The continuing soil subsidence issue eliminates the possibility of using traditional road replacement processes for repairing Tonawanda Creek road, as these processes would once again be undercut by the soil subsidence.

A soil study of the affected area revealed that the slope failure plane could extend well beyond the roadway itself and into the front yards of the homes in the area, and in some cases up to the front of the homes themselves. Various repair and construction options were looked at as part of the study, with the most promising option being a soil mixing and stabilizing option that would allow the roadway to be rebuilt in its current location. This is similar to what was done on Tonawanda Creek Road west of this location and closer to Transit Road years ago, and to repairs conducted on Hopkins Road in Amherst.

The approved GBNRTC resolution approves funding for both Erie and Niagara counties to repair road and slope problems along Tonawanda Creek Road, which will be a multi-year project. This funding will provide for preliminary design, final design, Right of Way, construction and construction inspection on Tonawanda Creek Road, a process that will begin in the spring.

For more information:

On the Erie County Department of Public Works’ Highways Division, click here.