BEACH ROAD RECOGNIZED
Lake George’s Beach Road, the first “green” highway in New York State, whose innovative porous asphalt allows storm water to infiltrate the soils rather than wash into the lake, has been awarded a Project of the Year Award by the Capital District branch of the American Public Works Association.
“This was one of the most important lake saving projects ever for Lake George,” said Walt Lender, the executive director of the Lake George Association. “It was a great opportunity for lakeside communities throughout the northeast to learn how this innovative way of managing storm water works.”
According to Lender, Dave Wick, then a director of the county’s Soil and Water Conservation Conservation District, first proposed adding a porous asphalt roadway to the project.
The LGA paid for a feasibility study and Wick, now the executive director of the Lake George Park Commission, applied successfully for a grant from New York State to help defray the costs of installing the porous roadway.
In addition to receiving $7.7 million in federal, state and county highway for construction , financing for the engineering and design for the project was supported by a Green Innovation Grant from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corp
New York State dedicated $1.5 million, much it from federal grants, to the costs of installing a porous pavement on the section of Beach Road that crosses state-owned land.
From the project’s plans, specifications, quality control procedures, testing protocol, construction procedures, and inspection parameters were developed that now form the basis for the current standards for the entire state.
Thomas C. Baird, an associate at the firm of Barton & Loguidice, who served as project manager for the Beach Road project, was also recognized by the APWA Capital District Branch, winning its Sustainability Practices Award.