Kensington Project gets ‘green light’ from federal government

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The roughly $1 billion Kensington Expressway project was given the “green light” by the federal government, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Friday.

Hochul said that the project will move forward and construction is expected to begin by the end of 2024, with completion estimated by 2028.

Kensington Expressway project gets $55 million federal grant

The project includes creating a six-lane tunnel for a portion of the Kensington Expressway (Route 33), along with planting green space on top of the tunnel, according to Hochul. Local roads, sidewalks, curbs, and signage will also be repaired as part of the project.

“All of that [green space] was robbed from this community years ago,” Hochul said. ‘We’re going to be building on 11 acres and for all of our football fans, that’s equivalent to eight football fields.”

Community members previously expressed concerns over potential dangers the project could cause to health and the environment.

“The federal government is not easy to get through,” Hochul said. “They found no significant impact, which means the environment review process, which was long, intense, comprehensive, that is now over.”

Full Friday press conference:

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Emily Miller is a digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2022. See more of her work here.

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