By John Jordan

A review of the 132-page “Scoping Report” for the “NYS Route 17 Mobility and Access Improvements Project” also known as the Route 17 expansion project reveals that the two build alternatives being advanced by the New York State Department of Transportation for further study would each cost more than $1.3 billion to complete.

Both alternatives are centered mainly around expansion/improvements in the Orange County corridor between Exit 130 and Exit 120 of Route 17. An updated project timeline calls for a Record of Decision on the scope of the project by February 2026 and the issuance of all necessary permits and approvals to allow for the commencement of construction by May 2026.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has previously committed $1 billion in funding for the Route 17 improvement project, announced the release of the NYSDOT-authored Route 17 scoping report on Friday, Sept. 19.

“Like so many of our bridges and highways, State Route 17 is a product of the mid-20th Century that no longer meets the needs and demands of 21st Century New Yorkers,” Gov. Hochul said. “This scoping report reflects the ongoing partnership that exists between the state and the community as we seek to reimagine this vital roadway into a modern highway that will reduce congestion, enhance safety, promote tourism and improve quality of life in some of the fastest growing regions of the state.”

The State Route 17 Mobility & Access Improvement Project involves improvements to the stretch of State Route 17 between Exit 113 in Wurtsboro, Sullivan County, and Interstate 87 in Orange County. It is intended to address operational and safety deficiencies, improve congestion-related travel times and address features of the corridor that currently do not meet interstate standards. Multi-modal improvements will also be assessed and considered, state officials noted.

As part of the scoping process, the New York State Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, solicited input from the public, stakeholders and involved agencies on the project needs, project concepts and scope of issues to be addressed for the project. As a result, NYSDOT is advancing two “build” alternatives in addition to a “no-build” alternative for further study in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). NYSDOT expects to publish a Draft EIS for the project in August 2025.

One alternative (“Concept 1”) being advanced would retain State Route 17’s existing two-lane mainline layout throughout most of the corridor while adding interchange auxiliary lanes between Exit 130 and Exit 130A and new collector-distributor (C-D) service roads from Exit 120 to Exit 122 and from Exit 122A to Exit 124. State officials explained that a C-D road separates freeway through-traffic from other vehicles that are exiting or entering the freeway and helps keep weaving and lane-changing vehicles away from high-speed traffic on the mainline freeway.

A second alternative (“Concept 3”) being advanced for further study calls for the construction of a third travel lane from Exit 120 (State Route 211) to Exit 130A (U.S. Route 6) in addition to new auxiliary lanes and C-D roads.

Both build alternatives would also make targeted safety improvements throughout the entire corridor, including slope and curve modifications, shoulder upgrades and improvements to pedestrian and mass transit accommodations.

Several interchanges—including Exit 120 (State Route 211)—would also be reconstructed under both build alternatives. The disposition of others, including Exit 114 (Mamakating Road) in Sullivan County, will be the subject of further study during the EIS process. The closure of Exit 114 has been controversial and has been criticized by some local residents and businesses.

The Route 17 project, subject to the federal NEPA process, mandates the No Build Alternative be part of the environmental review process. The scoping document reveals that NYSDOT had also considered a third alternative (“Concept 2”) that called for the construction of a peak period shoulder lane in both directions of Route 17 from Exit 122, Crystal Run Road to Exit 130, NYS Route 208. “The roadway footprint would be widened into the existing 44-foot-wide median area to accommodate the proposed peak period shoulder lane while minimizing right-of-way impacts. Proposed C-D roads would be constructed from Exit 120 to Exit 122 and from Exit 122A to Exit 124,” the report stated.

According to the scoping report although this alternative satisfied the NYSDOT screening activity, “Concept 2 could not be implemented using standard and available resources and technology at this time and thus, will not be advanced for further study in the DDR/DEIS.”

On page 121 of the scoping report, NYSDOT detailed the project cost estimates of the two build alternatives. For the Build Alternative that calls for two lanes with operational improvements, interchange improvements, and mobility and access improvements, the total cost estimate is $1,302,000,000.

For the alternative that involves the construction of a a general use third lane with interchange improvements and mobility and access improvements, the total cost estimate is $1,412,500,000.

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “State Route 17 is an important connector between New York’s downstate regions and some of the most popular and fastest-growing regions upstate, including the Catskills and Southern Tier. The scoping report is an important milestone in the environmental review process, but our work is ongoing and we will continue to engage with the community to ensure that the end result is a project that reflects the community’s input and addresses the safety needs of the system.”

Elected officials and business and construction trade organizations expressed continued support for the Route 17 expansion initiative and acknowledged the importance of the study reaching the scoping report milestone.

In a joint statement, Maureen Halahan, President and CEO, Orange County Partnership, 17-Forward-86 Coalition co-chair and Marc Baez, President and CEO, Sullivan County Partnership, 17-Forward-86 Coalition co-chair, said, “Enhancing safety on Route 17 is of paramount importance as our region continues to grow with new business investments, residents and record numbers of visitors. Our infrastructure needs to grow with these developments, and expanding capacity on Route 17 will go a long way toward making the corridor safer for everyone traveling on it. We are grateful to Governor Hochul, and our local and state representatives for their leadership in moving this critical project forward.”

NYSDOT reports the anticipated project timeline to be the following:

Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS (DEIS)—August 2025

Public Hearing—September 2025

45-day DEIS Comment Period (begins with the Notice of Availability of the DEIS) August—October 2025

Issue Combined FEIS/ROD—(Record of Decision) February 2026

Issue all Project Permits and Authorization Decisions (if a Build Alternative is selected)—May 2026