State funds $10 million pedestrian underpass; RCUT roadway changes moving ahead in Wellsville

Wellsville councilors were briefed March 4 on a pair of state transportation projects that officials said will reshape a key corridor in town.

City staff member Scott told the council that UDOT is moving forward with a restricted crossing U‑turn (RCUT) and that a separate pedestrian underpass has been funded by the state. "That has been funded. So that's a $10,000,000 project that got awarded to Wellsville," Scott said, adding the underpass is expected to follow the RCUT construction by about a year.

The council discussed where the underpass should be built, with Scott saying UDOT is considering locations either north or south of Center Street and that design work is underway. He said the underpass was funded at the state level and that the RCUT will proceed on a faster timetable: "RCUT's still coming... RCUT will go in in '26. The underpass will be a year behind."

Why it matters: the RCUT will change traffic flow on a major road and the underpass is intended to improve pedestrian safety and connectivity. Council members emphasized they tried to influence the design, including asking for a pedestrian underpass to preserve neighborhood access.

What comes next: city staff said UDOT will finalize design details and the city will continue discussions about the underpass location and how the projects will be coordinated. No formal vote on the projects was recorded at the meeting.

Quotes in context: the article uses the council’s own words about project funding and sequencing; staff emphasized that the underpass funding was awarded by the state and that the RCUT work is scheduled sooner.