PLATTSBURGH — The idea of a “rooftop highway” across northern New York has been around since the Kennedy administration, but City of Plattsburgh councilors want more time to see if they support the proposal.

A resolution asking for symbolic support of the highway plan was on Thursday night’s agenda for the council to consider.

Mayor Donald Kasprzak said he put the item on the agenda after several groups backing the plan asked for general support.

175 MILES

The rooftop highway would be a 175-mile, four-lane expressway from Watertown in Jefferson County in the west, to Champlain in the east.

It would mirror Route 11 and have options for a spur from Ellenburg to Plattsburgh along Route 190.

In 1961, State Sen. Robert McEwen (R-Ogdensburg) introduced the idea as a bill, and it was approved by the State Legislature. But Gov. Nelson Rockefeller vetoed the bill, saying the road was too expensive.

The bill was re-worked and reintroduced in May 1963, and Rockefeller signed the bill establishing the “rooftop highway.”

But the project generated little support from the State Department of Transportation and never got approval from the federal government, even though President Richard Nixon endorsed the idea in 1971.

COSTLY

The cost today for the project is estimated at about $1 billion, and city councilors were not sure Thursday night that they wanted to pledge their support for a plan with such a high price tag.

Councilor Michael Kelly (D-Ward 2) said he was opposed to a rooftop highway for several reasons. Among those, he said, are that there is not enough traffic to warrant such a road, building a highway doesn’t fit as a economic-stimulus plan, a large road like that would be a burden to maintain, and major highways are not environmentally friendly.

Councilor James Calnon (I-Ward 4) said that while a rooftop highway might not be a bad idea, more inclusive plans to include rail service, energy and information transport should also be considered.