I’m so glad relief is finally in sight for drivers on Carman and Lydius
— Photo by Mark Grimm
The abandoned Nedco pharmacy, at far left, is slated to be demolished when a roundabout is built at the intersection of Lydius Street and Carman Road.
To the Editor:
Big changes are coming to Carman Road (road repaving, new sidewalks, and possibly two roundabouts) designed to improve safety for drivers and pedestrians, reduce traffic congestion, and eliminate an infamous neighborhood eyesore.
Car accidents at the Carman Road and Lydius Street intersection are about 50 percent higher than similar intersections. This safety issue led to a federal grant to help improve the road.
The state’s Department of Transportation has done design work for a one-lane roundabout for Carman and Lydius that is scheduled to begin construction next April. In the meantime, parts of Carman will be repaved and widened and a new sidewalk will stretch from Pine Bush Elementary to the Carman-Lydius intersection. The project to repave Carman from Western Avenue to Coons Road begins this week.
In 2019, the DOT held a public forum at Pine Bush Elementary School. Many residents raised concerns about the potential backup the smoother traffic from a Carman-Lydius roundabout could cause at the Carman and I-890/I-90 ramp intersection just down the road. The DOT listened and has begun preliminary design work on a roundabout there.
The DOT cautions me that the second roundabout was not part of the original project so the situation is complicated. But it is my hope that it can be a part of the final solution.
At last, we can expect to say goodbye to the abandoned Nedco pharmacy eyesore at Carman and Lydius. It will be purchased and demolished.
Some property owners will be required to sell pieces of their land for the overall road construction. The state will be contacting them to answer their questions and settle on a fair price for their property.
As a Lydius resident, I know how frustrating waiting through red lights at Carman and Lydius has been. That’s why I first started to push for some suitable upgrade there while on the Guilderland Town Board about 10 years ago.
I’m so glad relief is finally in sight. I appreciate the federal, state, and town efforts made involving this needed overhaul.
The DOT project website can be found at www.dot.ny.gov/146carmanroad. The project manager, Corey Barringer, can be reached at .
Mark Grimm
Albany County Legislator
Guilderland
Editor’s note: Mark Grimm notes that he represents the Carman Road area.
