U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) recently requested that New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Marie Dominguez and Acting Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Stephanie Pollack extend the public comment period for the I-81 Viaduct Project plan in the district he represents in New York.
In July, NYSDOT and FHWA released the updated Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the I-81 project, triggering a 60-day public comment period. The DEIS spans thousands of pages and outlines the scope of the project and its impact on central New York.
“As our community quickly approaches the current deadline for public comment on September 14, 2021, my office has received outreach from many constituents regarding their ability to fully participate in this process under the current timeline,” Rep. Katko wrote in a letter sent to Dominguez and Pollack. “Providing a reasonable extension of the public comment will address these concerns, ensure a full and thorough consideration of the DEIS by our community, and provide more Central New Yorkers with an opportunity to make their voices heard.”
Rep. Katko urged NYSDOT and FHWA to consider extending the public comment period to ensure local residents, schools, healthcare providers, business owners, and community leaders have an opportunity to read the DEIS and fully participate in the public comment process.
“More than a decade in the making, the I-81 project is a truly transformational project that will impact central New York for generations,” said Rep. Katko in an Aug. 27 statement. “Like my constituents, I am eager to move forward with this project. But we must do so in a deliberate way that ensures all voices in our community are heard.”
Given the scope of the DEIS and the significance of the I-81 Viaduct Project to central New York, as well as the ongoing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, Rep. Katko requested that FHWA and NYSDOT consider extending the public comment for the project by 30 days, or an alternative period determined to be appropriate by the agencies.