$14 million upgrade of Rt. 531 is complete, Cuomo says

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced work is now complete on the second and final phase of the $14 million Route 531 Terminus Project in the towns of Ogden and Sweden, Monroe County.

The redesigned highway will ease traffic flow and enhance safety along the Route 531 corridor, a critical transportation link that serves thousands of motorists traveling between Rochester’s interstates and Orleans County. The highway is also a major access point for the SUNY Brockport campus, the Rochester Tech Park and westside communities in Monroe County.

“The Route 531 Terminus Project is one of many infrastructure investments we’re making in this region and across the state to improve travel and promote expanded access to businesses, schools and local neighborhoods,” Governor Cuomo said. “These projects help to revitalize upstate communities and continue to support our goal of moving the Finger Lakes Forward.”

Under construction since 2017, the project was intended to create a more efficient and easier-to-navigate junction of Route 531, Route 36 and Route 31 (Brockport-Spencerport Road).

Phase two of the project, which began in May 2018, created a direct connection between Route 531 and Route 31 through a newly constructed roadway west of Route 36, which transitions from a four-lane highway to a two-lane arterial road. The new roadway was first opened to traffic in August of 2018.

Additional safety enhancements made as part of the project include:

• Widening of Route 31 from the Route 531 intersection west to Gallup Road and adding a center median to separate eastbound and westbound travel lanes;

• Transforming the previous stretch of Route 31 into a cul-de-sac to provide access to residences north of the newly constructed Route 31; and

• Constructing continuous two-way left turn lanes on Route 31 between Gallup Road in the Town of Ogden and Salmon Creek Road in the Town of Sweden.

New York State Department of Transportation Acting Commissioner Paul A. Karas said, “Enhancing safety and improving access for the thousands of motorists in the region that rely on this expressway is vital to not only the local economy, but our goals in modernizing our aging infrastructure. This project will benefit both Monroe and Orleans counties for years to come.”

Senator Robert G. Ortt said, “The completion of the Route 531 Terminus Project upgrades is welcome news for those New Yorkers who use this expressway on a daily basis, whether it be for transport to work or use in everyday life. Throughout the Western New York region, transit problems are continuing to be identified and successfully resolved, allowing for easier mobility across the region. Although upgrades to state roads and highways are not glamorous projects, they are responsible for some of the largest impacts on the daily lives of our state’s residents. This Terminus project is no different.”