$3.6M from State Secured to Repair Putnam County Roadway
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Route 52 in the towns of Kent and Carmel in Putnam County will be repaired, thanks to $3.6 million secured from New York State coffers.
The funding was announced last week by State Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblyman Matt Slater, who recently wrote a letter to the state Department of Transportation addressing issues with Route 52, which stretches through Carmel and Kent before going north into Dutchess County.
“The current disrepair of certain sections of our state roadways is unacceptable,” said Harckham. “Governor Hochul’s timely influx of funding for necessary improvements on two important area thoroughfares will benefit local residents and small businesses, as well as those traveling through the region. Ensuring the safety of motorists on our roads needs to remain a priority when it comes to infrastructure investments, and I will continue to fight for funding to help improve the condition of our roadways.”
“Governor Hochul finally heard my plea for the resurfacing of Route 52,” said Slater. “We know our state roads need greater care and investment, both in Putnam and Westchester counties. Residents throughout the 94th Assembly District pay some of the highest property taxes in the country, and having safe state roads is not an unfair expectation. Working with our partners on all levels of government, I am glad to see this road will be paved for the safety of all who traverse it.”
Although areas of Route 52 have been paved elsewhere, a strip of road located in Kent was skipped over. This area of road has continued to deteriorate over the years, with many residents issuing complaints.
“I am thrilled to hear the news that Route 52 in the Town of Kent will finally be repaved,” said Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne. “This has been a long-standing issue for the residents of Kent and Putnam County, causing frustration and inconvenience for daily commuters and businesses, and one that Assemblyman Slater, Supervisor McGlasson and I raised awareness about last year. I want to extend my thanks to the state of New York for recognizing the urgency of this situation and taking action to improve the road for the safety and well-being of our residents.”
“We have been trying to get this done for 10 years and Matt, along with other officials, have done it in two months while in office,” said Kent Highway Superintendent Rich Othmer “The roads are in deplorable shape, and hopefully we can expand on these efforts in the years to come.”
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
