NEW WINDSOR — Construction is set to begin later this month on a 4.7-mile conveyor system to transport limestone from Lehigh Cement Co.'s New Windsor quarry to its Union Bridge facility.
After more than a decade of planning and development, the project is expected to be fully-operational by 2018. The project was presented Thursday at a public workshop.
New Windsor Mayor Neal Roop said Lehigh has bent over backward to try to avoid negative community impact. A large portion of the finished conveyor will be underground and the above-ground sections will be totally enclosed.
After considering transporting limestone from the New Windsor quarry by railroad or truck, Lehigh determined a conveyor system was the best option for the community, emergency services and the environment, according to Kent Martin, plant manager of Lehigh's Union Bridge facility.
Conveyor systems are in use all over the world, Martin said, but Lehigh's will be unique in its length and curved path, as well as the fact that it is underground in sections.
Thursday, Lehigh shared the plans for the quarry and the conveyor at a workshop open to concerned citizens. Lehigh employees were on-site to answer questions about the phases of the project, road closures and the eventual finished project.
"The community doesn't always love what we're doing, but as long as we're open and transparent, they understand," Martin said.
Several road closures are planned during the construction phase of the project, but no more than one road will be closed at once and detour routes have been mapped and approved, Roop said. The fire companies in the area signed off on the closures and are aware of where they will be so as to allow for appropriate routing of emergency vehicles.
A website is being developed where Lehigh will share project updates, road closure information, photos and videos, according to Martin.
Beth Rosario, of New Windsor, said when the project was being planned, everyone was concerned about its effect on the community as a whole. Now it's down to how the construction and closures will affect each person specifically, she said.
Rosario pointed out her home, off Hawks Mill Road, on one of the maps at Thursday's workshop. Lehigh environmental engineer Keith Deery answered her questions about where construction would occur relative to her home.
Once running, the conveyor will generate operate at a noise level of about 60 decibels, which is about the volume of normal conversation, Deery said.
Lanscaping will be done to reduce the visual impact of the completed conveyor, according to Martin.
"There's a lot of people to answer your questions," Rosario said. She said she appreciated the opportunity to ask questions but was still wary of the project.
Neighboring resident Karen Carroll said she is concerned about how the construction will affect the re-sale value of her home and also how the road closures during construction might affect her commute and the community.
At one of the first public meetings about the project, it was suggested the conveyor could be constructed over roads, according to Carroll. She said she was worried about the possible dangers such a configuration would pose in case of severe weather.
"You have to think about it," she said.
Only one portion of the conveyor will be overhead, Martin said, and that is over Quaker Hill Road entering the Union Bridge plant.
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