To the Editor:

Since early April, West Old State Road from Route 158 east to the CSX railroad bridge has become a service road for the construction of the high-voltage transmission line that will carry electricity downstate.

Eight hours a day, six days a week, heavy vehicles — concrete mixers, 40 foot flatbeds, 14 wheel dump trucks — speed continuously in and out. The project is estimated to last three to five years.

The roadbed is crumbling. The noise is deafening. Utility wires have been torn down. Residents cannot walk safely down the road.

On April 12, 2024, I emailed Town Supervisor Peter Barber advising him of the downed-wires incident and asking that the town provide information about the project, and if the developer was contributing to an escrow account to pay for the damage being done to town roads. Mr. Barber did not reply.

I sent a follow-up on April 22, 2024. Mr. Barber did not reply.

The level of activity is increasing. As of this writing, eight concrete trucks have motored by just today.

It sure seems that by now a responsible town government would have communicated with affected residents — sent out a simple fact sheet, convened a meeting with the developer and residents, placed a bulletin on its much-ballyhooed website. Anything.

What is happening? Why? How long will it last? What has the town done to protect its residents?

Unless I missed it, none of the supervisor’s weekly updates mention this project, which is cutting a swathe across the western end of the town. Given his silence, I can only conclude that Mr. Barber doesn’t think this matter is important enough to merit his and the town’s attention. If that is the case, we have a much bigger problem.

Richard Gifford

Guilderland

Editor’s note: Peter Barber said he recalled “a resident was concerned about truck traffic and damage to a dead-end road by trucks involved with constructing the Champlain Hudson Power Express line. I understand that the trucks were using a staging area adjacent to the CSX train line at the end of the dead-end road. As you may know, the CHPE power line has been installed, where possible, in railroad and other rights of way.

“I immediately advised Highway Superintendent Bob Haver of the resident's concern and he inspected the staging area and road. I believe that Bob later informed the resident that the trucks could operate on town roads and that he would seek recovery if the roads are damaged. The CHPE project is still ongoing.”

Haver added that his foreman has been taking before and after photos of the affected roads and he is in regular contact with the contractor who said that the staging area should be closed in October.