BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

CANTON — Legislators will spend up to $6 million on highway department outposts and storage facilities in Lisbon and Russell, but officials say the buildings will bring a slieu of efficiencies.

The total cost for both projects is estimated at $5.5 million.

St. Lawrence County Highway Superintendent Don Chambers says the six bay buildings will allow for storage of equipment in more strategic locations. He said storing the vehicles inside will extend the longevity of equipment as employees won’t have to battle the elements when cleaning, performing safety inspections or maintenance on the machines.

He said this will also improve response time efficiencies and ensure the vehicles operate more effectively.

The buildings will include an oil and water separator drain system and inside storage will also make it easier to determine leaks and other issues.

While the county currently has an outpost in Russell it lacks one in the Lisbon area. He said that addition will improve response times for highway related jobs in the area and put in place equipment to deal with issues that pop up at the nearby transfer station.

Chambers said it will also allow the county to store salt and sand inside which will have environmental benefits as well.

The buildings would be located at 3869 County Route 24, Russell and 522 County Route 28A in Lisbon.

The work will be performed by Northern Their Contracting of Gouverneur as well as ENI Mechanical, Gouverneur and Tel Inc., Dekalb.

The county agreed to bond for the money which will cover all costs including work, construction, demolition, renovations, site improvements, furnishings, fixtures and equipment and professional fees required for the jobs.

Chambers and other staffers were praised for their efforts in moving the projects forward.

A third barn was to be built in Potsdam as well, but plans fell through as the site was not owned by the county.

The town owned the parcel in question and the county has sought a lease in order to secure funding for the project.

However, the town council opted not to approve an easement for the county at the most recent meeting.

Chambers however has not ruled out a Potsdam outpost being constructed in the future and noted that discussions are still underway.