BINGHAMTON, NY – A major downtown Binghamton street closure that has hurt local businesses has come to an end.
The section of State Street, referred to as Artists’ Row and known for its restaurants, stores and art galleries, has reopened to through traffic on schedule.
The block between Henry and Lewis Streets has been torn up and largely closed to traffic since April.
In 2018, the City of Binghamton received a $1.7 million grant from the state through the Greater Binghamton Fund for the creation of a unified arts and culture district called the Downtown Entertainment and Cultural Organizations or DECO district.
In addition to a full street reconstruction, renovations to the block include new lighting, wider sidewalks, safer pedestrian crossings, bike parking stations, landscaping, and public art elements.
With narrow sidewalks the only way to access them, businesses told NewsChannel 34 that they suffered greatly.
The sidewalks are being expanded significantly, narrowing the street and eliminating some on-street parking.
The roadway sit above the former Chenango Canal which was filled in with garbage in the 1800’s in order to create the street.
As a result, the new pavement is settling so construction crews are waiting until the Spring to apply the final layer.