Office of Borough President James P. Molinaro
Staten Island, New York
B.P. Molinaro hails quick response by State and City DOT to safety concern at Expressway approaches to Outerbridge
Faded Road Striping at Convergence of Korean War Veterans Pkwy and West Shore Expwy
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Borough President James P. Molinaro today announced that at his request, the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) and the New York City DOT will re-paint faded road striping on the expressway approaches to the Outerbridge Crossing, which poses a safety concern at the convergence of the Korean War Veterans Parkway and the West Shore Expressway.
Molinaro was alerted to the hazardous condition by his staff and immediately contacted the State DOT. “Last month I asked Regional Director Douglas Currey to take steps to re-stripe the expressway approaches to the Outerbridge Crossing. With the opening of new stores at the Charleston Center, the need for clear striping will be all the more urgent.
“At present, many motorists try to access the last exit from the Korean War Veterans Parkway, which requires crossing the merging traffic from the West Shore Expressway,” Molinaro added. “The increased traffic flow generated by the new stores at the Charleston Center will only exacerbate this condition.”
In response, Currey wrote in a letter to Molinaro on March 6th, “In regards to the pavement markings, the condition has deteriorated. The pavement markings have been scheduled for re-painting during the Spring of this year by the New York City Department of Transportation under our highway maintenance agreement. Also, we have a project in development to perform additional safety improvements at this location.”
New York City DOT Commissioner Iris Weinshall said, “We thank Borough President Molinaro for alerting us to the situation on the approach to the Outerbridge Crossing. We will work with the State DOT to re-paint the street markings and make this important convergence of roadways safer for motorists.”
Molinaro said, “I want to thank the State and City DOT for responding so quickly to this hazardous condition. Partnerships and cooperation among government agencies contribute greatly to the improvement of borough-wide projects and our quality of life.”March 23, 2006