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Project to install new lights on Niagara Falls Boulevard to last roughly six weeks

Posted at 3:29 AM, Jan 07, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-07 05:10:01-05

AMHERST, N.Y. (WKBW) — Progress is being made on a project to make Niagara Falls Boulevard a little brighter.

The work to install new lights along part of Niagara Falls Boulevard began about four months ago, and is expected to continue for another six weeks.

The lights are needed to make it safer for drivers and people who walk on that busy stretch of road near the Amherst-Tonawanda town line.

Over the last five years, six people have died, and about 300 accidents occur on the road annually.

"We feel like we've made some great strides towards fixing a problem road," Amherst Town Supervisor Brian Kulpa said. "We still have a long way to go, it's still very highly traveled, and vehicles move at a fairly rapid pace so we want to do more."

Amherst expects to have about 60 lights installed in the next few days, with an additional 40 by the end of January.

Additionally, the New York State Department of Transportation will conduct $2 million in safety updates this year.

By Fall 2020, the speed limit in the northern section of the corridor going down from 45 miles per hour to 40 miles per hour.