NY 76 Ripley Grade Separation

The Hamlet of Ripley is segregated by two high speed rail lines operated by CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway. These lines, as part of the Albany, NY, to Chicago, IL, system, routinely cut off traffic between the north and south portions of the hamlet.  When these trains pass, there is no path for emergency vehicles to pass without an extenuating detour, and hamlet residents are delayed.  The project includes an evaluation of a bridge overpass, a bridge underpass, and tunnel options to create a grade separation for NY Route 76. The project also evaluated the traffic, pedestrian, and other community impacts related to the proposed closure of four at-grade intersections adjacent to NY 76 within the hamlet.

The Hamlet of Ripley Fire Hall and Community Center would require closure and relocation under one of the alternatives. Additionally, several potentially historical properties are located along NY 76. The project evaluated the impacts to each of these.

HMM prepared an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that defined alternatives and related environmental impacts. The EIS included the following studies:

• Evaluating closure and rerouting of five grade crossings  in the hamlet
• Evaluation of three bridge and tunnel alternatives
• Vehicular and pedestrian Traffic Impacts Studies
• Community Impact Studies
• Railroad Impacts:  On-site rail detour, tunnel jacking under live rail traffic, raising of the railroad grade
• MPT and construction detours
• Stormwater management and environmental assessments
• Matrix analysis of pros and cons of each alternative
• Cost Estimates
• Public Information Meetings

The EIS has been prepared. The project awaits confirmation of funding before moving to the next phase. HMM will be responsible for preliminary and detailed design of the preferred alternative.