Number Four Road & Highway Updates

LOWVILLE, NY — The Lewis County Highway Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent are pleased to announce that the Number Four Road has officially reopened to two lanes of traffic as of August 18, 2026 at 3:45 PM.

First and foremost, we want to thank the residents of Lewis County for your patience, understanding, cooperation, and words of encouragement throughout this project. We know road closures and detours are inconvenient, and we truly appreciate everyone working with us while our crews addressed this culvert failure as quickly and safely as possible.

After evaluating the situation, a powder-coated multi-plate arch culvert was determined to be the most cost-effective and quickest solution. Through an emergency permit issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), we were authorized to replace what was existing at this site. We also want residents to understand that in situations like this, there are regulatory agencies and permitting requirements that help determine what we can and cannot do. We worked within those requirements while doing everything possible to move this project forward without unnecessary delay.

By completing the majority of this work with our own Lewis County Highway Department forces, we were able to save the taxpayers a significant amount of money. Aside from renting a few pieces of specialized equipment needed to complete the work quickly, our own crews handled this project.

The new powder-coated pipe has an anticipated service life of 100 years or more. Think about that for a moment: after roughly a week of work, this structure should serve Lewis County for generations. Our grandchildren—or even our great-grandchildren—may be the next ones faced with replacing it. We also want to put into perspective just how hard our crew worked. Lane, the company we purchased the pipe from, advised us that assembly of the pipe alone could take approximately a week or more. Our crews assembled it in a total of 12 working hours.

We simply cannot say enough about the men and women of the Lewis County Highway Department. They worked their tails off to get this project completed as quickly as possible while minimizing the impact on the citizens we serve every day. Their knowledge, skill, determination, and willingness to do whatever was needed made this project possible.

We would also like to thank the Town of Lowville Highway Department for lending a hand with this project. Their assistance was greatly appreciated and is another example of the strong working relationships we are fortunate to have with our local highway departments.

We would also like to thank the Lewis County Solid Waste Department for their assistance with the disposal of the old culvert pipe. Their help was another important piece of keeping this project moving efficiently, and we greatly appreciate their cooperation and support.

We also want to thank the Lewis County Soil and Water Department for hydroseeding the disturbed area just prior to reopening the road. They are always willing to lend a hand on our projects, and we greatly appreciate their continued support and cooperation.

Lastly, we would like to thank our Community Engagement Specialist, Kaylee Rhodes, for helping us keep the public informed throughout the project. Communication is an important part of projects like this, and we appreciate her work keeping everyone updated on our progress.

This project has been a great learning experience for everyone involved, but more importantly, it has been an example of what can be accomplished when a group of people puts their knowledge, skill, experience, and heart toward one common goal.

We plan to allow traffic to travel over the repaired area for a couple of weeks before final paving takes place. Please use caution when traveling through the site, as there will be loose stone until paving is completed.

And with Number Four Road back open, our crews are already looking ahead to the next work on our schedule. Next on the agenda is shoulder backup on Greig Road, Lee Road, and Brantingham Road. Once that work is complete, we will surface treat all three roads, followed by centerline striping those roads shortly after.

As always, we ask motorists to use caution around our crews and equipment as this work moves forward. We appreciate your patience as we continue making improvements throughout Lewis County.

Thank you again to everyone for your patience, cooperation, support, and encouraging words throughout this project. We are proud of what our crews accomplished and even more proud to serve the people of Lewis County.