First Phase of Route 17 Rehab in Apalachin Nearing Completion

Drivers in Tioga County are looking forward to traveling on a smooth road surface on Route 17 in Apalachin for the first time in several years.

The first half of a $47 million reconstruction project of a section of the expressway in the town of Owego is expected to be wrapped up this fall.

Work on the long-awaited repair job started last spring. A six-mile portion of Route 17's westbound lanes have been closed for more than six months. Two-way traffic has been traveling through the work zone using the eastbound lanes.

The project includes new road decks for two bridges that carry the highway over Apalachin Creek to improve resiliency.

Sections of Route 17 are being raised by up to one foot. Portions of the heavily-traveled highway are just a few yards south of the Susquehanna River.

New signage and guiderails have been installed along the westbound lanes of the expressway.

The crossovers that have been in place over the past several months will be removed to permit normal traffic patterns during the winter months.

The second phase of the reconstruction project - rebuilding the eastbound lanes - is scheduled to start next spring.

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: Paving crews working in Apalachin on September 25, 2024. 

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.