Binghamton Area Motorists Encouraged to Avoid Prospect Mountain

The New York State Department of Transportation is renewing calls for local motorist to detour around the construction on Prospect Mountain in Binghamton at the Interstate 81/ State Route 17 interchange to help ease some of the traffic congestion through the work area.

D.O.T. Region 9 director Jack Williams says some major traffic pattern changes are going into effect for the long-term as work on the first phase of the Prospect Mountain gets into full swing for the 2013 construction season.

Williams says traffic on Route 17 will be shifted from the west bound side to the east bound side to free up the work zone for the construction of the new on and off ramps for Mygatt/Prospect Streets.  Williams adds there will be two lanes of I-81 south bound and exits 4 south and north ramps to I-81 south bound traffic due to the amount of area needed to work over Chenango Street as new bridges are built.

Williams says the first phase of the project is about 24% complete and on-budget.

The DOT constantly updates the status of the project. Updates are available at 511ny.org and the DOT Facebook page.