AKWESASNE , NY – The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Planning and Infrastructure announced that it has awarded A.P. Reale & Sons a construction contract for Phase One of the Cook Road Reconstruction Project. The first phase of road construction will begin next week and will consist of $2,183,313 in traffic safety improvements along Akwesasne’s second busiest road.   

“Rebuilding Cook Road has been in the planning stages since 2002 and I am glad that construction is finally scheduled to start later this month,” stated Travis Solomon, Construction and Transportation Manager. He added, “The Tribe awarded the contract to A.P. Reale & Sons after a second round of bids was received earlier this year.”

The first round of bids was initiated in April 2005 and gave contractors 30 days to submit sealed bids. Only one bid was received during that time period and was higher than the amount of funding available for the project. In response, the Tribe put the project on hold and did another round of bids in early February 2006. The additional months gave contractors more time to submit bids and to include the project in their schedules for the upcoming construction season.

Contractors had until February 22, 2006 to provide sealed bids to the Tribe’s Grants & Contracts Office for consideration. Bid estimates for the reconstruction project needed to include road work from the intersection of Cook Road and State Route 37 north to Snye Road . A review of the lowest bids for work along the 3.1 miles road resulted in A.P. Reale & Sons being awarded the construction contract.

A.P. Reale & Sons, Inc. have operated since 1950 as a general construction company based in Ticonderoga , NY . They have completed multi-million dollar public works projects throughout New England for agencies such as the Vermont Agency of Transportation, North Country Community College , and the New York State Department of Transportation. The Cook Road reconstruction project will be their first in Akwesasne.

Cook Road is one of the main roadways in Akwesasne that travels in a northeasterly direction just east of the St. Regis River . It is one of three roads that provide access to the district of Snye, Quebec and is highly traveled road with more than 780 vehicles using it each day. Approximately 2,500 residents live on 6 roads that intersect Cook Road from the east and on Tarbell Road , a road that intersects from the west.

The high volume of traffic has created numerous problems that include potholes caused by winter freeze and thawing, poor drainage that causes spring floods and safety issues in areas known as “Spaghetti Corners.” Another portion of the road has been dubbed “Suicide Hill” that has limited visibility due to a blind spot.

Phases One will entail a number of safety improvements that include installing a left turning lane at the intersection of Cook Road and State Route 37, re-grading Suicide Hill to improve sight conditions, and straightening the roadway at Spaghetti Corners to provide safer turning for all directions of traffic.   

Funding for Phase One is provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the New York State Department of Transportation. The NYSDOT provided a one-time allocation of $1 million, while the last four years of road improvement funds from the BIA will be used for this project. Total BIA funding is $850,000, with the Tribal Council contributing $400,000 to the project.

The next phase of the reconstruction project, Phase Two, will commence soon after the completion of Phase One, with requests for bids to be made later this spring once funding is obtained. Planning and Infrastructure has applied for a High Priority Grant from the BIA to cover the next phase of construction. The next phase will improve drainage all along Cook Road and place new asphalt between Martin’s Corner and Suicide Hill. 

For more information about the Cook Road Reconstruction Project, contact Travis Solomon, Construction and Transportation Manager, at (518) 358-2272 (ext. 188).

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