County Officials Approve $2.8 Million Bond for Main Street Improvements

The busy stretch of Main Street that leads from Route 9 to Conklin Avenue will undergo a complete overhaul in the coming months, now that the Westchester County Board of Legislators approved a bond act in the amount of $2.8 million for the project.

The funding covers the costs of design, construction and construction management. The roadwork will include a complete overhaul of the roadway including milling and replacing the existing road surface and the installation of reflective devices and pavement markings for improved visibility. The construction should begin in spring 2012, according to County Legislator John Testa, who was instrumental in securing the funding.

The improvement project will cover a total distance of 2.14 miles.  

Main St. is the only corridor heading East from Rt. 9 making it a very important and heavily travelled thoroughfare. This portion of Main St. carries a daily average of almost 10,000 vehicles.  Almost a third of those vehicles are commercial trucks supplying and picking up goods at local businesses.

The project picks up from the recently completed NY State Project Rte 9/Main Street Bridge that was initiated when County Legislator John Testa was Mayor of Peekskill several years ago.

The legislation was debated and held in committee for more than a year before finally being passed by a unanimous vote at the Oct. 3 Board of Legislators meeting. Legislator John Testa was the driving force and proponent of this plan amongst his colleagues on the Board of Legislators. 

"I'd like to thank my colleagues on the Board of Legislators for their unanimous support of this very important funding package,” Testa said.  “While it has been a long and sometimes frustrating effort in the end we are delivering a complete and appropriately funded plan.”

Testa acknowledged the tough economy and his commitment to “preserving taxpayer dollars at every opportunity,” and called the road improvements “imperative infrastructure project” that will help to keep people safe and keep commerce growing. 

“This work will ensure that Main St., which is a key artery for Northern Westchester, will remain a safe and efficient route serving the residents and businesses of Peekskill and all of Northern Westchester well into the future."

This project follows infrastructure projects for county owned parks in District 1. In December of 2010 Testa was able to secure funding for major road and parking upgrades to both the Blue Mountain Park and George’s Island Park. Work for both of these projects was completed this summer.

Legislator Testa is presently working to move additional infrastructure projects through the Board of Legislators for the repaving of Crompond Rd. (Rt. 202) and North Division Street. Both are county owned roads.

“Along with my fundamental pledge to reform county government and reduce taxes I also pledged to bring improvements throughout District 1.  The county owned infrastructure in our area has been badly neglected for far too long. It is not only a safety concern for those who traverse the roads, especially first responders, but it is also a quality of life issue for residents,” said Testa.