By Justin Rushia 

The City of Plattsburgh is firming up plans for a $15 million redesign of one its most dangerous and confusing intersections, at the junction of Cornelia and Broad streets.  

“The triangle of death — that’s what they call the intersection,” Mayor Wendall Hughes said of the five-way intersection near the SUNY Plattsburgh and Clinton Community College campuses that is soon to undergo a multi-year overhaul. 

After years of planning, a design was released to the public in December by engineering consultant Barton & Loguidice. Final approval is slated for this April, with construction expected to start the following April of 2027 and be completed by October 2029.

Thousands of vehicles move daily through the intersection, a messy confluence of three streets flanked by a Walgreens, package store, Burger King, newspaper office, and Stewart’s Shops gas station. It is also where a residential district abuts one of the region’s most commercially dense areas, home to restaurants, retail stores and service businesses. 

The proposed redesign intends to improve the flow and safety of the intersection, which suffers from outdated infrastructure, missing sidewalks, non-ADA-compliant curb ramps, deteriorating curbs, poorly marked driveways and overhead utility lines, according to Barton & Loguidice. 

“This [redesign] isn’t just the intersection,” Hughes said during an interview at his office on Feb. 5. “This is going from McDonald’s all the way down to Prospect.”

Jackson Hooper, a SUNY Plattsburgh student from Elizabethtown, described it as one of the city’s most confusing areas to drive through, adding that he has witnessed numerous accidents and near-accidents there. Barton & Loguidice tallied at least 177 car accidents there from 2019 to 2014. 

“I just saw someone get rear-ended there the other day,” Hooper said. 

SUNY junior Gabrielle Wrisley experienced the dangers of the intersection firsthand. In February 2023, while turning left into the Walgreens parking lot, her car was struck on the rear passenger side by another vehicle. Large piles of snow didn’t help with visibility. 

Wrisley got a $300 ticket for failing to yield, although the car that hit her was going five miles over the speed limit. She said the intersection’s confusing layout makes it hard for drivers to navigate and predict oncoming traffic. 

“No cross-traffic and a solid green arrow for traffic lights would greatly benefit anyone traveling on this intersection, because there seems to be no assured driving path rather than putting your trust in a green light,” she said. 

Although the intersection will remain five-way, the redesign aims to improve the flow of traffic and make it safer for pedestrians. 

“It is going to be five ways, but there’s not going to be any crossover traffic,” Hughes said. “There’s gonna be rights and lefts now, that’s it.” 

Hughes emphasized that improving pedestrian safety is a priority of the project. The new intersection will include ADA-compliant sidewalks along both sides of the road, five-foot-wide bike lanes, upgraded curb ramps, and new traffic signals.

“It’s embarrassing for the city of Plattsburgh; we don’t have sidewalks there,” Hughes said. “We’re gonna replace a lot of the aging infrastructure.”

The project will also include installing underground utility lines, enhancing drainage infrastructure, and consolidating driveways to reduce potential conflict points.

The design phase has already cost $1.5 million, provided by 80% federal funds and matching local funds. Construction is projected to cost another $14.95 million, also funded primarily by the federal government.

“It will be of zero cost to the city of Plattsburgh,” Hughes said.

Hughes acknowledged that construction may inconvenience drivers and businesses, but he said the city will make the transformation as smooth as possible. While one side of the road is closed for repairs, the other side will remain open to bidirectional traffic. 

“Finish that half, get it open, and then move over to the other side,” Hughes said. “We have to keep the businesses happy, and we have to keep the residents happy.” 

Wrisley, the student who was side-swiped in the intersection, questioned whether the city might be overlooking other solutions to the troublesome triangle, including investing in public transport. 

“If the City of Plattsburgh can try to organize another route to destinations without heavily relying on Cornelia Street, I think it would be better for everyone,” Wrisley said.