U.S. Senator Charles Schumer says a highway that runs through the Hudson Valley should be expanded. He says the expansion is key to accommodating the anticipated increase in traffic with a casino coming to Sullivan County.
New York’s senior U.S. senator will be in Orange County Friday afternoon, pushing for passage of an enhanced federal infrastructure bill to help cover the cost of expanding Route 17. Schumer says the New York State Department of Transportation approved a plan to expand Route 17 from two lanes to three, from Harriman to Wallkill, before any casino plans. With a casino in the mix, Schumer says Route 17 should be expanded further to Monticello in Sullivan County. He says the larger expansion will require funding from the casino developer in addition to federal and state money. Then it’s off to Kingston later in the afternoon where Schumer will call for full federal funding for repairs to the city’s sewage treatment plant damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
