Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay) recently completed the fourth day of his highway infrastructure tour, making stops in the towns of Bangor, Duane and Malone in Franklin County.

“Maintaining our roads and bridges is critical to ensure our families’ safety and boost our regional economy,” Jones said. “This tour has given me an up-close look at the conditions of our local infrastructure and allowed me to speak one-on-one with the crews that are out there working every day, which will help me fight for more resources for our communities.”

Jones’ busy day began in the morning at the Duane Fire Department, where he toured the local roads and bridges with Highway Superintendent Ned LeMieux, Jr, Town Supervisor Ned LeMieux, Sr., and Franklin County Legislator Andrea Dumas.

Jones’ tour continued at the Bangor Town Hall, where he met with Highway Superintendent Jamie St. Hilaire for a tour of the town highway department. Jones continued on to the town of Malone and met with Highway Superintendent Bruce Mallette and Town Councilor Edward Lockwood to learn more about the issues faced by the town’s highway department.

Since the beginning of the month, Jones has visited 12 towns and met with local government officials from across the 115^th Assembly District. He has toured many local roads in need of repair and will continue to meet with highway crews across the district to hear their concerns firsthand.

Jones has continually fought to secure state funding to help replace the North Country’s roads and bridges. He helped pass a 2019-20 state budget that provides $438.1 million for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPs) and $39.7 million for the Marchiselli Program. These programs help municipalities complete much-needed road and bridge maintenance projects. Additionally, in the final weeks of the 2019 legislative session, Jones helped secure $65 million in Extreme Winter Recovery funding.