| Press Release: NYS, March 31, 2000
Governor George E. Pataki today announced plans to provide
improved fishing access to Oneida Lake, one of the top warm water fisheries in
the eastern United States. The plans call for improvements to the area where
Interstate 81 crosses Oneida Lake in the Town of Cicero, Onondaga County, and
Towns of West Monroe and Hastings in Oswego County.
"As we clean up New York's waterways, we are also working
to make it easier for New Yorkers and visitors to take advantage of our State's
many spectacular natural resources," Governor Pataki said. "These improvements
will allow anglers of all ages and abilities as well as nature lovers to enjoy
the this popular fishing spot on Oneida Lake."
The State Department of Transportation (DOT) will make
improvements to the current parking areas on the north and south shores of the
lake and create handicapped accessible connecting trails, and a new
100-foot-long pedestrian bridge from the south shore.
On the north shore, the Department will build an 18-car
parking lot, spanning the border of the Towns of Hastings and West Monroe,
accessible from Swamp Road (County Route 37) and 600 feet of paved path leading
either to the shoreline or to a fishing deck. The deck will be attached to an
existing wooden structure originally designed to act as a protective bumper to
protect the concrete piers, and will have benches and low railings which will
provide fishing access for wheelchair users.
The enhancements at Oneida Lake will improve safety for
both pedestrians and vehicles by providing walkways separated from the
high-speed travel lanes of I-81. The human-made island built for the
construction of the Interstate will provide an additional 2,500-foot trail
around the perimeter of the island for a variety of shore fishing
opportunities.
"We saw an opportunity to work in partnership with the
Department of Environmental Conservation and the community to make it easier
and safer for people to take advantage of this wonderful fishing attraction,
while at the same time making repairs to and improving the bridges in this
area," State Transportation Commissioner Joseph H. Boardman said. "This project
is an another example of how Governor Pataki's environmental leadership is
working in Central New York and around the state."
The effort to improve fishing access is part of a new
policy DOT has implemented to incorporate environmental and community
enhancements into its capital projects and daily operations.
In addition to working with DOT to create these
enhancements, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will provide
trail blazing signs and an orientation map of the total area at each parking
site. While DEC will be responsible for litter pickup, the DOT will maintain
the South lot year round and the North lot in fair weather.
"This initiative illustrates how Governor Pataki's vision
of providing outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities has become a
reality in the Empire State," DEC Commissioner John P. Cahill said. "Under the
Governor's leadership, DEC and DOT are working together to provide safe fishing
experiences for New York anglers and this project opens the waters of Oneida
Lake to more people than ever before."
The fishing-access improvement is part of a $9.2 million
project to repair 12 bridge decks in Oswego and Onondaga Counties. DOT received
bids on the project on March 9, and anticipates award in mid- April. The
apparent low bidder was Vector Construction of Cicero. Work is scheduled to
begin in mid-summer and the fishing access improvements are to be completed by
this fall.
DOT recently gained national recognition as a leader in
environmental stewardship in 1999 by receiving the President's Award for the
Environment and the first Environmental Best Practices Award from the American
Association of State Highway Transportation Officials, a national organization
of all state transportation departments.
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