The New York State Department of Transportation recently began major construction on the $64.1 million Hornell Gateway Corridor Project, which will reconstruct a nearly three-mile stretch of the highway, reconfigure intersections, and make other upgrades that will enhance safety and quality of life for the City of Hornell and residents of surrounding communities.
[Above photo by NYSDOT]
A new shared-use path and other features will also provide improved accommodation for pedestrians and cyclists along the corridor, while taking truck traffic to a local business park off the local street network.
“The City of Hornell is a gem of the Southern Tier and this project will be nothing short of transformational for the Maple City,” explained Governor Kathy Hochul (D) in a statement. “From better access to Alstom and Wegmans, to new pavement and miles of new shared use paths, we are ready to get to work to enhance safety, shore up much needed infrastructure and make Hornell a better place to live, work and raise a family.”
Marie Therese Dominguez, NYSDOT commissioner, noted that this will be a “generational project” and a “game changer” for the City of Hornell.
“This is a project that has been talked about for years in the community, and we are ready to break ground and transform State Route 36 into a state-of-the-art transportation hub for the City of Hornell that will better serve all users of the transportation network, fuel economic activity, and bring new opportunities for commerce and recreation to the entire region,” she said.
NYSDOT noted that State Route 36 was built in the 1970s to better move traffic to and from the City of Hornell, but that the roadway has not kept pace with the area’s growth. The corridor has experienced significant commercial and industrial development, resulting in new intersections, turning lanes and traffic signals, as well as increases in pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Approximately 13,000 vehicles travel through the corridor and its 10 intersections daily.
The Hornell Gateway Corridor Project will transform State Route 36 from the intersection of Cass Street, Elm Street and Broadway in the City of Hornell at its southern limit to County Road 66 (Webbs Crossing Road) in the Town of Hornellsville at the northern limit.
NYSDOT added that while State Route 36 normally carries two lanes of traffic in each direction, the road will be reduced to one lane in each direction during the 2026 and 2027 construction seasons – though intersections and property entrances will remain open, the agency stressed.
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