ALBANY, NY -- The New York State Assembly agreed to complete the Rte. 219 Thruway, making it into a four-lane highway from Buffalo to Salamanca, where it would connect with the Route 86 (formerly called the Southern Tier Expressway).  The four lanes presently end in Springville.

 

The state body voted to begin construction on the desperately-needed thruway in 2048.  According to their plan, the road will be finished by 2060, giving the economically-poor region a big boost that will probably not be felt until the 22nd Century.

 

"We're hoping and trusting that the state will have enough money at that time to make it happen," declared Assemblywoman Donna Skatz.  "Our projection figures to the Year 2060 reveal that it will cost between 35 to 45 trillion dollars to complete the 12-year construction project.  We're keeping our fingers crossed that our grandchildren will do what it takes then."

 

When questioned about details of the 219 plan, Skatz was avoidant, yet enthusiastic and upbeat about the future.

 

"We're also banking on the hope that not much will change in the world and in the nation over the next fifty years," she added.  "We've seen so much disaster and bad luck in this state over the past few decades, and we're just believing that stability on all fronts will happen soon - economically, socially, politically...and that things will return to normal and be peaceful.  If all goes the way we would like it to go over the next half-century, New York should be a prosperous and healthy place within the next few years, and that prosperity will continue for generations to come.  219 will happen."

 

Interestingly, 219 was originally designated in the 1950s to be a 4-laner all the way from Buffalo to Salamanca, but the money ran out at Springville.  The Southern Tier has suffered the loss of billions and billions of dollars over the past forty years of not having a major lifeline to Buffalo. 

 

"The region has become one of the poorest in the country as a result," states Aaron Burton, history professor at Alfred University who was interviewed after the vote.  "Relegated to the status of New York hillbillydom - Appalachian hicks.  I'm happy that the state government has once again agreed to complete the project.  They said and voted on the exact same thing in 1958, 1964, 1973, 1985, 1995, and now in 2003.  Whoop-dee-do."

 

"Let's get one thing straight here," he continued.  "They do not care for us."

 

In contrast, other citizens like Jed Stuberry feel angered and threatened by the Assembly's move.  "I don't want a big ol' highway comin' through the area.  Most of us don't want city folk rammin' around our property, wavin' their big, fat wallets, tellin' us simple folk what to do," admitted Jed at his home in Richburg.  "Go to the dentist!  You gotta get cable TV.  Ya gotta get a home computer.  Take away their shotguns!  This 219 project is a threat to our country way of livin'.  Next thing ya know, and we got Arab terrorists runnin' around the hills."