Albany, NY - Lawmakers Press DOT for Route 17 Barriers

Albany, NY - State transportation officials said they couldn't "justify" building a potentially life- saving barrier along the Route 17 median three years ago, but a half-dozen recent head-on fatalities has some political leaders calling for action.  

Area lawmakers whose districts include Route 17 say they are putting pressure on the state Department of Transportation to finally install barriers along the highway's median in Orange County. 
Six people have lost their lives in the past 15 months because vehicles crossed the grassy median and plowed into oncoming traffic. In the past 12 years, 12 people have been killed in such crossover wrecks in Orange and Sullivan counties.