The current demolition process of former Nestle buildings that line State Route 481.
FULTON, NY – A lane reduction is anticipated for a portion of State Route 481 in Fulton on Tuesday, September 19.
Traffic will be lessened to one lane in both directions in the area near the former Nestle site to allow for completion of demolition.
City officials are warning travelers of this route to be aware of the lane reduction and prepare for any traffic delays that may result.
Fulton Mayor Ronald Woodward Sr. anticipates the lane reduction to last one day, though delays in demolition could allow for extended time following a traffic pattern using one lane for each direction.
One lane northbound and one lane southbound will be closed from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., following the same time pattern as the detour that shut down a portion of State Route 481 last week.
To begin demolition on Buildings #2 and #4a of the former Nestle site that line State Route 481, city officials directed a detour through S. First Street last week that allowed for complete closure of a stretch of State Route 481 that posed a risk to travelers during demolition.
The detour lasted two days and allowed demolition contractor Rowlee Construction to begin demolition on the buildings closest to State Route 481.
“The detour ran really well,” Woodward said, adding that a truck driver commended the city for directing the detour so smoothly.
Members of the Fulton Police Department will be on scene during the lane reduction to direct traffic, but not as significantly as during the detour, Woodward said.
As the buildings are now partially demolished, the upcoming traffic lane reduction will allow safety for travelers during the remainder of demolition.
While the traffic changes affect the estimated 24,000 vehicles that travel State Route 481 in Fulton daily, they are a small part of the greater undertaking by city officials to demolish the 24-acre former factory site that has been mostly unoccupied since the famous chocolate maker, Nestle, shut its doors in Fulton in 2003.
Since the city acquired the property on tax foreclosure in 2015, work has been underway to demolish the site in its entirety to allow new businesses to buy parcels of the site and return the property to the tax rolls.
While international supermarket chain, Aldi is currently constructing a new store on a 2.2-acre parcel on the corner of Fay and South Fourth streets, Mayor Woodward ensures there is interest in several other parcels on site.
Though details regarding interested parties can not be discussed, city officials have noted that the area will be primarily retail.
In August, an Aldi rep shared a general time frame for anticipated opening of the new store, though a specific opening date has not yet been determined.
“The Fulton store is slated to open in early winter,” said Aaron Sumida, Tully division vice president.
Upon completion of the current demolition of Buildings #2 and #4a, three buildings will remain standing on site.
As per a contract between Rowlee Construction and the city of Fulton, the remaining buildings will be demolished by December 31, 2017.
One building will remain in tact to be refurbished into a museum relative to Nestle and Fulton’s industrial history.
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