State Funds $3M Route 9A Study, Eyes Overdue Improvements

The New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) has committed to funding a long-awaited study of Route 9A from Mount Pleasant to Ossining as flooding, accidents and bridge strikes have plagued the antiquated roadway for years.

Local and state representatives converged near the heavily-traveled Route 9A-North State Road intersection Friday morning to announce that the agency is setting aside $3 million to analyze the infrastructure and come up with recommendations for the 10-mile stretch of the state route.

Not much has changed in the 90 years since the roadway, also known as the Peekskill-Briarcliff Parkway, opened, said Briarcliff Manor Mayor Steven Vescio, one of the officials who has aggressively pushed for action by the state. The only noticeable difference since it was built in 1932 was the installation of a guardrail at some point.

“This is an important first step,” Vescio said. “To study the infrastructure, the bridges, the drainage, the lane width, the on and the off ramps, etc., that will ultimately lead to improvements to the busy parkway and provide a safe corridor for the residents of Briarcliff and all those traveling on Route 9A. It is critical that progress on this study is made timely and in an effective manner with public input.”

The $3 million study will be paid through the $32.8 billion five-year capital plan that was recently approved the state legislature and signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul to make transportation improvements around the state.

State Sen. Peter Harckham (D-Lewisboro) said he expects the state to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to do the study, which will take about a year to complete once underway. He hopes that the study can begin later this year.

Once it is done, a scope of work can be recommended to DOT to upgrade the roadway. That could include drainage improvements, lane or road widening, raising the bridges over the parkway and other steps needed to make Route 9A safer.

Until the scope can be determined, there is no estimate regarding how much any improvements might cost. Harckham conceded that it will be “very, very expensive” but it was time to pursue the project after the Cuomo administration vetoed similar legislation because of a prohibitively high price tag.

“So now we’re moving forward to do the study so we know exactly what needs to be done and what it’s going to cost and how many good paying jobs it’s going to create to fix this road,” Harckham said.

State Sen. Elijah Reichlin-Melnick (D-Nyack) whose district includes Ossining and a portion of Briarcliff Manor, said improving Route 9A has been a priority for the area for years. The Assembly sponsor for the initiative is Assemblywoman Sandy Galef (D-Ossining) who has also fought for the DOT to fund a Route 9A study.

“I’m so happy that finally we are able to get $3 million, a commitment, a letter in writing from the Department of Transportation, $3 million to study what to do to fix this road and get it done so we finally have a safe transportation corridor right here through our communities,” Reichlin-Melnick said.

In 2018, there were 120 accidents on just the 2.5-mile stretch in Briarcliff Manor, Vescio said. That number has been fairly constant from year to year, although it dipped over the past two years because of the pandemic, he said. The Briarcliff portion sees an estimated average of 48,000 cars a day.

Vescio also said dangers are heightened because if trucks, which can use Route 9A, are over a certain height they must use the left lane to fit under the bridges.

While accidents, flooding after major storms and bridge strikes are a concern on the northern portion of the parkway, improvements are needed farther south in Mount Pleasant. Town Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi said at one time Route 9A may have been an adequate road, but with Regeneron constantly expanding, operation of the Home Depot and current construction of the 150,000-square-foot Amazon warehouse in Hawthorne the DOT needs to address the road’s deficiencies.

There has been deep concern in Mount Pleasant that the added volume caused by the Amazon facility, which is projected to open late next year, will prompt even more drivers to cut through neighborhood streets, Fulgenzi said. He added that a traffic signal and turning lanes on Route 9A and Belmont Road must be installed for the town to issue a Certificate of Occupancy.

“The growth is going to continue, whether we like it or not,” Fulgenzi said. “There’s property on 9A that will be developed, so we need to keep up with that development.”

Ossining Supervisor Dana Levenberg said Route 9A needs to be made safer for everyone in the area.

“We are so grateful for the state finally finding the money, and we know it is because of our advocates right behind me, all of whom have just spoken, (are) really fighting for our communities,” she said.

Martin Wilbur

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/