First off, have I ever told you I hate the term Rooftop Highway? Anyway, forget about that for now.
It was just about one year ago, that the Plattsburgh Press-Republican published an editorial that seemed to whole-heartedly support the "I-98" concept. At that time, the paper even talked about an expected announcement from Sen. Gillibrand of very significan federal funding to move the project forward.
Of course, that announcement never came, Sen. Gillibrand was easily re-elected in November (and isn't that really what the supposed announcement was supposed to ensure?) and now we hear nothing more about the funding.
As a result, it would seem. the paper has changed its tune.
Read the editorial at the link below and you decide.
http://pressrepublican.com/0200_opinion/x1041535134/EDITORIAL-Half-century-of-lethargy
I hope that north country residents do not naively believe that Sen. Gillibrand (or anyone else) can wave their hand and produce the funding for a major highway project. But I understand why the Plattsburg papers would not support an east-west 4 lane highway across northern NY. If we had one, the exporters from the Ottawa regiopn would have a better alternative for shipping their products. And they would also have a better route for importing raw materials. Ogdensburg and Massena would cut into the profitability of warehousing and distribution that Plattsburg is thriving on. Incidentally, I don't care for the term "Rooftop Highway". That term was used to describe the expansion of NY Rt. 17 in the southern tier. It is less fitting up here. In the late 1990s we called it St. Lawrence County Four Lane For Jobs. Whtever the project is called, I still believe that it would be a great asset for north country economic development.
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