The contractor for the job is Lancaster Development....of Richmondville NY. They usually have a decent reputation, they have done work for NYSDOT.....but this job is awful. Rifenburg Construction did a project along the same scope on Mohawk St in Cohoes in 2003, and had it done in 1 season. I agree, the Congress St Job is awful.

I've contacted the city engineer left a message to no avail. Called Mayors office very nice said they would send someone up. To me it seems like they keep backtracking. What concerns me most r the flag people. Completely awful and dangerous they must be related to the contractor and eating up city $$ cuz in no way have these people ever done anything of this magnitude. Its horrible complete waste of dollars but a danger to public safety.

Ok, enough about Congress St. Why don't all you people who complain, start working construction,or flagging 10 hours a day, listen to the public call you names all day and we will see how nasty you become.
I have worked road construction, so I feel I know a little more than John Q. Public. Issues: site sits for weeks little or no progress, You have no idea what is under the roadway or what it takes for it all to come together as a complete project. Remember, it is not just pave over everything. Speak of paving, it was a milling machine at the bridge, cutting a straight edge on existing asphalt, to allow a smooth transition when new pavement was placed,,as it is today. Issue: Pipe caps sticking up all over, they are existing Sanitary Manholes, if they can blow your tire (if you are doing speed limit) it will be the first time I ever heard or seen that. Issue: traffic back ups, SMARTING UP GO A DIFFERENT WAY, it's not like the job just started and you didn't know it, I live in Troy and I know of a lot of ways to bypass the area. I'm 100% positive, traffic was not back to Speigletown (do you know where Speigletown even is??)
Issue: Flaggers, I suppose they could shut down the road and get off it to have a break or a cigarette, they don't, they are are there all day working in all kinds of weather, while you sit typing complaints, I'm sure if you stopped by, Lancaster would give you an application for the job,(you seem to think you could do it better) Have at it.

I live in the neighborhood, I don't just drive through, and I have zero problems with the crew or the project. Why would I, when they are improving my neighborhood? I've taken the time to actually *speak* to the crew and they are generous, nice, people. They are doing their jobs, and I know I wouldn't be able to do what they do every day- especially those flaggers. Day after day they dealt with abusive drivers, to the point where I would have cracked. Few breaks, bad weather, and constant abuse. You try it. Apparently it's just easier to complain. Take the time to think- do you want a job this extensive done fast and sloppy, or with real planning? Again, it must just be easier to complain. Realize this, the structures under the road were well over a hundred years old, and fragile. Replacing them was a hard job, but the new works under the road will last much longer. It's stronger and safer. Yes, we will have to get used to a new traffic flow, but it will work better in the long run. Pay more attention, whine less.

i also live in the neighborhood and have talked to the workers many times. I have found them to be nothing but polite and courteous. I have also called the city engineers office several times and talked to the girl that works on the project as the project manager. She is kind and very helpful and immediately responded to my inquiries. I have watched the flaggers take more abuse from rude drivers. I would never want that job. I am very grateful that my neighborhood is being improved. Everyone should stop complaining and let the workers do their job.

Wow, obviously people have ZERO idea what they are talking about. I happen to be a former employee of Lancaster Development and I live here in Troy (I left Lancaster in January when I became disabled because of a long term medical condition). I happened to be the Equipment Manager/Administration Manager for Lancaster and I can tell all of you who are complaining a couple of things. First off, after the bid for the job, Lancaster was delayed by 6 months by the City of Troy because further infrastructure work by Verizon and National Grid was not completed yet, so the project was delayed, but yet the City still demanded the work be done by the original timeline outlined in the bid, so yeah, things are pretty hectic......generally on a job of this nature, one thing is done at a time following a strict gridline of a work schedule, however because of the delay.....several things are being done at once, to try and finish on time per the bid.....not because of any lack of knowledge or laziness by Lancaster, but from delays frm the City of Troy. Secondly, Lancaster development is a NY DOT award winning contractor, most recently Lancaster won the award Statewide for Design/Management on the Latham Rt. 7 Overpass....so your assertion that Lancaster is not a professional company is simply ridiculous! Thirdly, to address someone's concerns about wasting city $$, that is the funniest thing I have heard, first off this job was by BID.....and Lancaster was the lowest bidder on the project, so the amount is the amount....regardless of how YOU think the money is being spent and where.....as long as the project is to the DOT's specifications, what do you care? Also, The city is not paying for this project, this is a State Highway (Rt. 2 to be exact) so the bulk of the funds are State DOT funds, and it is a State DOT engineer overseeing the project, the city engineer is involved only regarding the infrastructure i.e. waterlines, etc.,
In closing, is it inconvenient to travel that area? absolutly! I travel up that way almost on a daily basis but I have never found it as bad as some people describe, use a little patience and common sense and you will be fine. It is sad that people complain about how horrible that area has looked for many years....and now something is being done about it, and it looks beautiful, and all you people can do is complain about what an inconvenience it is to you. Bottom line is this, and it has been said here by many intelligent people, if you think you can do better, then stop complaining, and gather up the millions of dollars it would take you to support a business of this nature and get busy going into business for yourself and start bidding on these projects. In my time at Lancaster I found a family owned business where the owners treated every single one of their 500 employees with dignity, respect, and care. This was the best career position working for any company I had worked for in 25 years, so to trash them is really short sighted on your part.

Troy 41, you hit all the major points.
Wake up complainers, this is a major project rebuilding what evolved from a dirt road by totally replacing the decayed water, sewer, gas, power systems and then building a first class road with curbs, drive lanes, parking lanes, turn lanes, sidewalks, lighting, and even trees. I live downtown and from the completion of the Congress/Ferry section up to the current phase, I enjoy driving up Congress, then turning around just so I can drive back down a first class approach to downtown. Accomplishing all of this while moving existing traffic calls for a huge Thank You to the Contractor. BIG Job WELL DONE.

Yea u hit all the major points. Right on top of your heads. Lol. Wake up! Work place safety is the responsibility of the contractor! Qualified help is the responsibility of the contractor. To suggest ibuy equipment and put in a bid shows how out of touch u r on this. Qualified people are the key. How would i be of any use?
its inexcusable a worker lifts up the rear of a pickup truck with a claw machine as a joke.
Its inexcusable that pipe is left exposed 8 to 12 inches above the ground. If it's unmarked and uncovered how is it supposed to be seen at night? It makes no difference how fast ur going when a steel pipe hits ur sidewall.
i have absolutely no idea what ur argument is unless u in fact work on this job. Or personally involved with these people. Or your just one of these people who would argue with a brick for the sake of having something to do.
Public safety is the issue here and there is no substitute for that.

Your complaints fall flat when your complaining about an AWARD winning (multiple award winning I might add) company with a 50 year old track record. AWARD's for safety, design, execution, etc. are not given out just willy nilly, they are given out for excellence. You are just whining about something to hear yourself talk, because no one else will listen to you. Have you taken your "concerns" to someone who can do something about it? My guess is not! This same company you complain about is the same company that back in the 1980's when the Thruway bridge collapsed just West of Albany and many people were killed, stepped up to the plate and completed the reconstruction of a new bridge in record time......so your arguments about incompetence are completely unfounded because many of the people who were on that crew back in the 1980's are the people who are with the company today. First off, how do you KNOW the lifting up the back of a pickup with a claw machine was a joke? Did you run outside and ask them? Secondly, how do you know that pipe was unmarked or uncovered? have you ever worked on a construction site, Do you realize that just MAYBE it was marked, perhaps with an orange cone and someone hit that cone with there car when driving through the area (which happens all too often on a jobsite) Maybe at night time when no one was around. Or maybe at night time when no one was around kids or college students walking through that area may have picked up that cone and moved it, threw it, or whatever. The point here is that you have NO IDEA! You dont know the facts, you merely see something, and assume you know everything there is to know about job site management. Your arguments are ridiculous and unfounded. By the tone of your argument, it appears to me that you just like to complain to try and make yourself feel important.

I have read the complaints listed within this issue report, and communicated with the Deputy Mayor's office regularly throughout this project. I have also driven through this area on multiple occasions, and I have not experienced the "thunderdome" that a few other posters have described. I would remind folks that this is a major road reconstruction project, and delays and general inconveniences are to be expected.

Do I need to follow up on this further?

If not, I am going to suggest closing this issue.

Look just because someone has won an award at some point doesn't make everything they do ok. Also I want to be clear on something. I'm discussing the work being done at the TOP of congress st. By Pawling ave. I think that gets lost here. Lastly b4 im done with this issue altogether I would like to say there has been mention of what nice people these are. Being a nice person doesn't make u good at yo0ur job. I respect everyone's opinion ty for sharing it. Take care of yourselves

Guest

GET A LIFE PEOPLE !!!!!!!

I appreciate all of the thoughts. I'm sure there have been some rough spots (pun intended), but overall I think this project has moved forward properly. I'm closing this issue.

they dont know what they are doing,lancaster winning awards means they did a good job on some project..i just find it hard to believe people say they are doing their job when its taking this long as you can see the contruction in albany at washngton ave can build a bridge reconstruct a second bridge, 2 rotaries paved roads new road system and deal with the infastructure more traffic and a more technical job within less time it took lancaster in troy to do their job.,nanoschool even started to build a new buildning after the construction began on congress/pawling and they finished before them.

LOL @ 518 comment. You know NOTHING about the length of this project. The work on Washington AVe extension began 3 years ago. Lancaster was awarded this Congress street project in Aug of 2011, and per my earlier comment, the work was DELAYED 6 months by the City of Troy because the infrastructure improvements (i.e. The Electrical lines by National Grid...which was NOT part of the Lancaster contract and the Verizon phone lines....also not part of the Lancaster contract were not completed yet.) This delayed Lancaster from beginning their contracted work until February of 2012.....Which was the middle of winter. So the work did not even begin until March of this year. Lancaster did begin to mobilize and start some minor work before end of 2011, but it was not able to begin the major road construction part until Spring of this year......and now, the Mahority of the work is completed. This is also about 7 months ahead of schedule, because the work was not slated per the NYS DOT Bid contract to be completed until Late Spring of 2013....and all that is left is the New street lights and to finish the retaining wall along where the old Tool Dye Demo took place. It just ticks me off that you people run off at your mouths without knowing anything at all. Perhaps you were thinking it has taken so long because of the Construction 2 years ago that began with the lower section of Congress......but that is NOT part of this upper Congress st. project. Those were 2 different phases, seperately bid, and Lancaster did not do the lower portion of Congress, a different contractor did. So before everyone starts running off thinking they know everything, please check the facts. The NYS DOT Bid letting process is open for anyone to view the contract, the bids, the plans etc. If you would have done that, you would find that Lancaster has completed this project earlier than the contract called for, and UNDER budget by almost $1 Million. Those my Friends are the FACTS!

Listen we run our mouths about a project that has taken almost two years to complete. It jumps all over the place one day up next day down and in particular i complained about safety issues. Now everyone has an opinion but what u dont understand is that we aren't engineers. Just normal people that want to go back and forth to work in a reasonable any of time. U rant and rave about a contractor that did a bridge job 30 yrs ago! Obviously ur retired and I thank u for ur input but u shouldn't down people for their opinion simply because they aren't contractors engineers or construction workers. We DONT know how to do these jobs but we DO pay taxes that pay for them. So we have every ri9ght to question what is being done the manner how and with what safe guards and time constraints

You are absolutly correct that you have the right to question what is being done. However, why not find out the facts in pursuit of answers to your questions, rather than coming on a BLOG and complaining. The answers to your questions are redily available, there is a Field Engineers Office right on the jobsite, clearly marked where anyone from the public may stop in and speak to the Construction Manager from Lancaster, or speak to the NYS DOT Engineer in charge about any question's or concerns you may have. You can also view the plans, timeline, and budget for this work. Complaining about something in a BLOG is not a good way to have your concerns addressed, if you truely are just a concerned citizen, rather than just someone who likes to complain about something because it makes your day little more hectic, then find out the facts, they are readily available to you. What I have a problem with is people trashing the contractor when for one thing, this current upper Congress St. project has NOT been going on for 2 years, it has been going on for less than a year. The lower portion of Congress St. was done by a DIFFERENT contractor a year prior to this upper Congress St. project. Secondly, all the infrastructure work that was going on was NOT Lancaster either, that was National Grid and Verizon, yet everyone tries to lump the WHOLE project into Lancaster's lap and that is just wrong. Again, I have no problem with people having Intelligent. and advised opinions, but all I see going on is people complaining.

your a good guy and you mean well take care of yourself