Plans respond to public comments
GOSHEN, N.Y. (Feb. 6, 2017) – Merlin Entertainments plc today announced its intent to move forward with plans to relocate and reconfigure Exit 125, including building a bridge over Route 17 as part of its proposal for LEGOLAND® New York in Goshen. The plan would address concerns regarding traffic impacts on local roads by removing LEGOLAND traffic from South Street and Harriman Drive in Goshen. It would also help solve geometric shortfalls of the existing Exit 125 interchange compared to current Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) design guidelines.
Merlin Entertainments is actively working with the NYSDOT to refine and finalize plans. Detailed plans will be included in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). This reconfiguration of Exit 125 would be designed to meet current FHWA and NYSDOT standards, which will assist with Route 17’s future conversion to Interstate-86.
The new bridge will provide a more direct point of access to and from the LEGOLAND New York theme park as well as other existing institutions located on Harriman Drive, including Glen Arden and Orange-Ulster BOCES.
These plans respond to public comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) during the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) process where members of the community expressed concerns regarding traffic.
“I am pleased that Merlin Entertainments is advancing an updated plan that addresses legitimate concerns relating to traffic on our local roads,” said Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus. “LEGOLAND New York will become a major tourism destination and this latest move also demonstrates their commitment to being a good neighbor.”
“LEGOLAND has always said that it wants to be a good neighbor in the Goshen community and that it wants to communicate openly and transparently,” said Phil Royle, Head of Community & Project Relations for LEGOLAND New York. “We are still working through details but we want to let the community know that we heard their concern about traffic. We think we are close to a solution that will successfully address concerns. We want a theme park that works for the community at-large and we value the community’s input. LEGOLAND would like to thank the NYSDOT and FHWA for their interest in finding a cooperative solution.”
About Merlin Entertainments plc
Merlin Entertainments plc is a global leader in location based, family entertainment. Europe’s No. 1 and the world’s second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates more than 100 attractions, 13 hotels and four holiday villages in 23 countries and across four continents. The company aims to deliver memorable experiences to its more than 60 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its approximate 27,000 employees. Visit www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information.
About LEGOLAND Parks
The first LEGOLAND Park opened in 1968 in Billund, Denmark, following by Windsor in the United Kingdom in 1996 and in California in 1999. In 2002, LEGOLAND Deutschland opened. Since 2005, those four parks have belonged to British-based Merlin Entertainments Group. In 2011, the group opened LEGOLAND Florida and LEGOLAND Malaysia in 2012. LEGOLAND Dubai is scheduled to open October 31, 2016, with LEGOLAND Japan scheduled for the second quarter of 2017. To learn more about LEGOLAND New York, come to the Community Welcome Center at 6 N. Church St. in Goshen to visit and review plans. To learn more, visit: www.LEGOLAND.com.
