1,257 Days Later: Vestal Road Reopens to Two-Way Traffic

There's relief for thousands of drivers a day who have coped with a detour that was supposed to have lasted two years but instead was in place for nearly three-and-a-half years.

Broome County regained control of Vestal Road near the Binghamton-Johnson City Sewage Treatment Plant late Friday morning.

Debbie Preston, who was county executive in 2016, agreed to close the busy artery for two years to accommodate construction at the treatment facility.

Vestal officials and business operators complained about the move from the beginning, saying they weren't consulted about the detour.

In recent weeks, town supervisor John Schaffer and county executive Jason Garnar began to publicly call for the removal of construction equipment that's blocked the roadway.

Temporary offices and a large crane were moved from the site in recent days. County highway workers made final preparations for the road reopening early Friday.

In a tweet posted with a video of the first car to drive on the reopened section of Vestal Road, Garnar wrote: "The nightmare is over."

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.