$25.4 Million Route 434 Greenway is Open

Pedestrians and bicyclists have started using the long-awaited Greenway link between Vestal and downtown Binghamton.

Basic construction on the 2.5-mile pathway was completed in recent weeks. Most of the orange-and-white barricades that warned people to stay off the trail have been removed.

The state Department of Transportation has not officially opened the Greenway but that doesn't mean much to those who have been waiting to walk, jog and bike along Route 434.

A crosswalk for Greenway users at the west end of Vestal Avenue. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

Barricades remain in place at a Greenway entrance near Vestal Avenue. Pedestrian crossing signals at that point remain covered and not operational.

A 1,000-foot path linking Vestal Avenue with the paved trail along the Vestal Parkway also remained off-limits as of Thursday.

The Greenway project to provide a connection between the downtown district and Binghamton University's main campus in Vestal has been in the works for well over a decade.

Several emergency call boxes are located along the Binghamton portion of the Route 434 Greenway. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

The first public meeting on the project was held on Binghamton's South Side in 2012.

Over the years, the project cost of the Greenway has increased substantially. Officials initially said it could cost between $6.6 million and $16 million. The DOT's current cost estimate is over $25.4 million.

Controversy erupted over the path connecting Vestal Avenue with the Greenway. Some residents in the area of Ivanhoe Road unsuccessfully fought the connector.

FLASHBACK: A sign protesting the 434 Greenway project in front of a Vestal Avenue residence on November 30, 2020. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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