New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced an upcoming Phase Two study on potential future enhancements along the Kensington Expressway corridor and options for a reimagined Scajaquada Expressway.
Hochul said the NYSDOT will begin work on the study later this year, assessing the traffic and environmental impacts that any potential changes could have. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
The study will also include an analysis of work by the Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council for the Scajaquada corridor.
From the beginning, the Kensington Expressway project has been about righting the wrongs of the past, and after decades of talk and indecision, we are finally delivering the results this community deserves. By commencing a study for a second phase, we are committed to exploring new ways to reconnect the community along the Kensington and advancing a greater vision that includes the linked Scajaquada Expressway corridor, enhancing it for residents, visitors and motorists.According to the governor's office, the GBNRTCs report was funded by the NYSDOT and was the result of a collaborative planning process that began in 2019. The report evaluated several scenarios and its preferred option calls for the reconfiguration of the Scajaquada into "a two-lane, at-grade roadway that removes all existing ramps to and from the expressway, creating a new parkway extending from Niagara Street to East Delavan Avenue."
Hochul said the study will proceed as work progresses on the Kensington Expressway Project.
The governor was in Buffalo in February to announce that the Federal Highway Administration issued a Finding of No Significant Impact, that signaled the end of the formal environmental assessment process that began in June 2022. This allows the NYSDOT to move into the final design stages with construction expected to begin by fall 2024.
WATCH: 'This is change': Kensington Expressway Project moving into final design stages; construction expected in fall
Since the project was announced, community members and community groups have voiced their opposition.
Were spending a billion dollars why?: Voices on Kensington Expressway Project Our numbers and NYSDOT numbers don't match: Group refutes Kensington Expressway Project favorability data East Side Parkways Coalition puts pressure on NYSDOTs billion-dollar Kensington Expressway project 'The community's voice will be heard': Neighbors push for Kensington Expressway Project alternatives Residents meet with NYSDOT to get answers on Kensington Expressway projectShortly after the governor's appearance, Terrence Robinson and Marcia Ladiana appeared in State Supreme Court in Buffalo regarding a lawsuit they filed against the New York State Department of Transportation. The couple lives along Humboldt Parkway and wants to block the $1 billion project that would cover a portion of the expressway with a six-lane tunnel. They are crying foul saying the NYSDOT has failed to conduct a proper environmental impact study and wants the state to follow the law.
WATCH: All we want New York State to do is to follow the law: Opposition to Kensington Expressway Project
All we want New York State to do is to follow the law: Opposition to Kensington Expressway ProjectThe issue was due back in court earlier this month.


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