St. Lawrence County highway facility project advances in Potsdam

St. Lawrence County has begun the next phase of a new highway maintenance facility in the Town of Potsdam, a project planned to consolidate county highway operations and support equipment repairs. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Oct. 5, followed by a site tour and construction update.

The county’s bid notice lists the project at 7074 US Route 11 and includes a 4,608-square-foot administration building, a 26,288-square-foot steel maintenance building, a 5,000-square-foot cold-storage pole barn, a fuel island, a weights-and-measures station, a water tower and a septic system. The administration building is planned to house the Highway, Solid Waste and Weights and Measures departments.

The county Highway Department says it maintains 573 miles of paved roadway, has 85 full-time employees and oversees 190 open bridges. The facility is intended to bring county highway crews and equipment together under one roof.

The project is Phase 2 of a site developed in 2019, according to a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation notice. The county issued a negative declaration for the project, meaning it determined the work would not cause significant adverse environmental impacts.

The county’s bid process included six prime contracts. A pre-bid walk-through was held Jan. 29, and the revised bid opening took place March 10, 2026. The full project is scheduled for completion in August 2027.

County residents can find information through the St. Lawrence County Highway Department. The department can be reached at 315-379-1542. Project documents are also posted in the county’s bid notice.