Route 120 Culvert Replacement to Shut Portion of Road in Chappaqua
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Motorists who use a portion of Route 120 in Chappaqua will have to find a new way to get around town starting next week.
On Wednesday, July 5 at 10 a.m., the state Department of Transportation (DOT) will commence an anticipated six-week culvert replacement project at Kipp Street.
Town Administrator Jill Shapiro said there will be a detour for local traffic as well as a truck detour posted, but all residents who live in close proximity to the work will be able to go to and from their homes.
“Everybody will be able to access their home, but it’s also a matter of everyone who can access their homes who live along 120, so we’re not displacing anybody,” Shapiro said.
While an around-the-clock road closure for six weeks is problematic, town officials asked the DOT to take that approach since the work was pushed to the summer. The rest of the year the community would have had to deal with the large volume of school buses on the roads using detours/
Keeping one lane open was another option, but that would have prolonged the project to about four months.
“We wanted to get it done after the school year ended and before (school) started again,” said Supervisor Lisa Katz.
Currently, the DOT expects to complete the job and reopen the road by Aug. 18.
State DOT officials visited the town in March to explain the work that will be done and the expected schedule. At that time, Richard Frusciante, a DOT engineer, said a large sinkhole developed in the roadway, which then compromised the culvert.
The local detour will allow motorists to use Kipp Street, proceed to Hardscrabble Road and then Douglas Road to reach downtown Chappaqua, Shapiro said. For those who need to get to Millwood from the other side of the culvert, Douglas Road to Hardscrabble Road will bring a driver back to Route 120, where it’s a quick drive to Route 133.
Truck detours are expected to only use the other state routes in town.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
