NY Route 198 (Scajaquada Expressway) Corridor Design

Watts is participating in the preliminary and final design commissioned by the New York State Department of Transportation for downgrading the Scajaquada Expressway, NY Route 198, from an expressway to an arterial. The roadway passes through the crown jewel of the Fredrick Law Olmsted designed parks system and adjacent to numerous historic properties and museums.  The study encompasses the entire 3.2 miles of expressway, from the I-190 to the Kensington Expressway, NY Route 33 and an 8 square mile network of area roads and highways contributing to the expressway traffic.

The scope of work provides for preliminary design (Phases I-IV) services leading to the preparation of a Design Report/Environmental Impact Statement Design Approval Document as well as final design (Phases V-VI).   Watts was responsible for a spot speed study; traffic data development; assisted with the noise and air studies; a general ecology and endangered species study; tree inventory, wetlands screening and delineation; hazardous waste/contaminated materials screening and an asbestos assessment.  For final design, Watts is preparing the drainage design and SPDES requirements including the plans, specifications and estimates as well as the SWPPP and associated treatment measures and calculations.  Watts also provided a good part of the accelerated Elmwood Avenue Bridge portion of the project, including: the ecological and environmental assessments, SPDES design, ESC design, work zone traffic control, and related PS&E. 

The detailed noise study involved 40 field noise measurements at 20 separate receivers and computer modeling using FHWA TNM for model validation and future noise predictions.  The detailed air study involved Mobile Source Air Toxics (MSATs) analysis and a mesoscale air quality analysis on multiple pollutants including the affected outlying urban street network that would be affected by the project.

Watts organized and provided a team of engineers and technicians who gathered and collated traffic data at over 140 locations for incorporation into a traffic model to study existing and proposed traffic patterns.