It took years, but roadwork beginning

DEPEW, N.Y. (WIVB) - After decades of setbacks, the Zurbrick Road stabilization project will finally begin later this month in Depew.

News 4 first reported on the situation three years ago. It only takes one look to realize there's a major problem. In some places, the shoulder of the road has dropped about three and a half feet. And for years, the problem with getting the project started has been money, and namely, who's going to pay?

Sen. Tim Kennedy said, "The road itself is literally falling into the ravine here. They're finally going to see shovels in the ground this month."

Nearly $2.5 million in state money has been greenlighted to remediate and stabilize this section of Cayuga Creek.

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Village of Depew Trustee Jules Percora said, "We've been trying to get this project moving, and finally thank God, it looks like we're going to have some progress underway here."

The erosion problem had been on the table long before State Senator Tim Kennedy took office. But he says this became one of his big priorities.

"I think quite frankly it's been the lack of urgency out of the bureaucracy of Albany," said Sen. Kennedy, addressing the long delay.

And no one has been affected by this more than Jim Burst. He resides directly in front of where road barricades sit. He remembers last summer, when it appeared no resolution was in sight.

"At that time it was County Executive Chris Collins. They own that bank apparently. And they didn't want to contribute to the cost of the project. Everything stalled at that time," Burst recalled.

Erie County owns a portion of the embankment now collapsing. Back then, Collins told News 4 the county would not fork over a dime to repair a road it doesn't own.

"The town and the village are trying to abdicate their responsibility and drop that on the shoulders of the county taxpayer and that's not going to happen," Collins said.