The reconstruction of Prime, Lloyd, Perry and Hanover streets at Erie Canal Harbor is complete. Roads feature cobblestones, exposed aggregate concrete sidewalks, new street lighting, granite curbing, and landscaping work were designed to align with the existing street grid as much as possible, while retaining its historic location. Work started in September 2009. Lloyd and Prime Streets will accommodate two-way traffic, while Hanover and Perry provide one-way traffic beginning in mid-November.
Congressman Brian Higgins, City of Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation Chairman Jordan Levy announced completion of the project that reconstructed four cobblestone streets at Buffalo’s Inner Harbor.
“We set ourselves apart when we build on what is unique to Western New York,” said Congressman Higgins. “With this project, infrastructure rich with history becomes a path to our economic future, as we create an environment attractive to visitors and business alike.”
“The city’s waterfront continues to improve and the reconstruction of these historic streets in the Inner Harbor will build upon the successful redevelopment of this vital tourism and recreational area of Buffalo,” said Mayor Brown.
Approximately eighty percent of the cobble pavers on Lloyd Street were salvaged directly from the site. The cobbles were unearthed, cleaned and reset in near proximity to their original locations. The alignments of the streets match their historic locations and every cobble used for the construction either came directly from the site or another original City of Buffalo cobblestone street.
The project was paid for with $3.8 million in federal funds, including $2.3 million in Recovery Act dollars, and was completed under budget. Mark Cerrone of Buffalo was the project contractor and DiDonato Associates performed the inspection and design work for the project. The city’s Department of Public Works provided oversight on the reconstruction work.
This marks the latest in a series of waterfront projects completed over the three years including: the Outer Harbor Greenbelt path, Commercial Slip, and Outer Harbor Parkway.
Additional Buffalo waterfront projects set for completion next year include: Buffalo Riverfest Park; public access at the Buffalo Lighthouse; a Tifft Street trail; a promenade, fishing amenities and kayak launch at Union Ship Canal; a pier at Lake Kristy at Tifft Nature Preserve; and boardwalk enhancements at Gallagher Beach and Times Beach.