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Could the 198 be a thing of the past?

Posted at 6:31 PM, May 24, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-24 18:31:14-04

The route that many Western New Yorkers take each and everyday could be a thing of the past and its a move 7 Eyewitness News has learned the State Department of Transportation supports.

Several organizations including Parents for a Safe Delaware Park and the Sqajaquada Corridor Coalition are fighting to physically disconnect the 198 from the 1-90, a move they say will make portions of the 198 safer while revitalizing alternate routes including Hertel Avenue, Amherst Street, Niagara Street and Grant Street. 

"By completely disconnecting the roadway it will make the whole boulevard a whole lot more usable, and safer upgrade crossings just make it much more useable highway," Louis Haremski, member of the Sqajaquada Corridor Coalition tells 7 Eyewitness News. 

Haremski says his organization has already  acquired grant money to create renderings of what this disconnect could look like.

In a statement obtained by 7 Eyewitness News the DOT says in part, "This type of feedback is what the Department is looking for in shaping the future of the Scajaquada Corridor.  . . we're also working to re-design the roadway to transform it into a low-speed urban boulevard that promotes safety for all users and fits with the character of Delaware Park."

Haremski says his organization hopes to present renderings of what the disconnect could look like in the10 weeks.