'Concrete steps' to improve Route 9A: What's planned for Mount Pleasant, Ossining stretch
The state Department of Transportation will conduct a long-sought study of a dangerous stretch of Route 9A in Mount Pleasant and Ossining, state lawmakers and municipal officials said.
The site of serious car and truck crashes and other problems over the years, the corridor has $3 million allocated for the study in the fiscal 2023 state budget.
Limited to 9A within Mount Pleasant and Ossining, including Briarcliff Manor village, the study will examine:
estimated total cost of new guardrail installation;
estimated cost of underpass renovations to accommodate commercial vehicles, as some don't currently fit under the Pleasantville Road bridge;
an estimate of how long the project would take;
how construction would affect traffic patterns, and the environmental impact.
It wasn't immediately known when the study will start and how long it will take to do.
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According to a statement from officials Friday, more than 40,000 vehicles travel the north-south route a day, from cars to emergency responders, to concrete mixers, delivery vans, and large trucks; first responders deal with the more than 120 crashes on the stretch each year.
The corridor, according to officials, poses significant risk to drivers — a road with narrow shoulders, low-clearance underpasses, and design deficiencies.
“For too many years, this very busy stretch of state highway, with its dangerous intersections, lack of a breakdown lane and poor drainage that negatively impacts adjacent neighborhoods, has required serious upgrading, and now we are finally moving forward with its overhaul and improvement,” state Sen. Pete Harckham said in a statement. “This $3 million study of Route 9A would not be taking place without the help of my legislative partners and strong local advocates, who deserve our thanks for making public safety a priority here.”
The announcement was made at news conference hosted by Briarcliff Manor Mayor Steven Vescio by the Briarcliff Animal Hospital, close to Route 9A.
"This important first step will lead to critical improvements to this busy parkway and provide a safe roadway for the residents of Briarcliff and all those traveling on Route 9A," Vescio said in the statement.
Route 9A opened in the early 1930s. It handles a heavy traffic of cars, in part, due to its connection to the Taconic State Parkway.
Ossining Mayor Rika Levin said it's one of the main routes people use traveling to or from Ossining, so a comprehensive study is needed to ensure safety.
"The highway is nearly 100 years old and we travel so much differently now than we did when it was constructed — this funding will allow the DOT to take a good look at how our modern-day traffic volumes can be better accounted for," Levin said.
Mount Pleasant Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi stated the study "is critical and demands immediate attention due to growth along the route over the years."
“Concrete steps are being taken to study and improve Route 9A," Assemblymember Sandra Galef said. "This historic road was never meant to be a thoroughfare for large trucks and sanitation vehicles. The time is now to identify major road improvements for our future motorists.”
Among the others who were part of Friday's announcement were Ossining Town Supervisor Dana Levenberg and Croton-on-Hudson Mayor Brian Pugh, and State Sens. Tim Kennedy and Elijah Reichlin-Melnick.
Michael P. McKinney covers northern Westchester for the Journal News/lohud.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Route 9A in Ossining, Mount Pleasant to be studied
