Niagara Falls road proj. re-started

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) - A Niagara Falls road project that started four years ago, and is over budget has finally re-started with its construction now that a new contractor is taking over the job on Lewiston Road.

Lewiston homeowner Gina Gigliotti says, "How long has it been since there was any real work done out there? Out here in front of my house, at least a year, but as far as down the road, we're talking a couple of years."

RELATED | The Lewiston Road reconstruction was supposed to be a two-year project, but it is already three years down the road, heading into year number 4.

 Work on the road came to a standstill last year, when the contractor Man O' Trees claimed radioactive material in the road bed was hotter than city and state officials previously revealed.

 City officials denied the claim and sued Man O' Trees, which counter sued. Last week, a state judge cleared the path for the City to hire a new contractor.

Gigliotti says, "When they put the apron in, they put it in so steep the car would not come in, it would hit."

Clinton Palmer, another Lewiston homeowner told News 4 he was disturbed by the work Man O' Trees did in front of his house, and to the driveway.

The apron has already been re-paved twice.

Palmer says, "They tapered the sidewalks on both sides of the driveway in order to put another apron in where I could get in the driveway, and maybe this apron is probably going to have to come out, too."

Since the new contractor, Accadia Site Contracting of Depew has started on the job, some work has been re-done.

While the issues between the city and Man O'Trees are still in the courts, Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster told us the state has come up with an additional 5-million dollars to get the job done.

"This is a level of activity, I think, that the people along Lewiston Road have been hoping to see for a long time, and I am guessing these guys are going to get visited with milk and cookies here, before too long," says Dyster.