Chance To Weigh In On The Scope Of The Route 9A Study

BRIARCLIFF MANOR, NY — A study of the many problems of Route 9A is still in development, and residents have a chance to learn what it's about during an upcoming public session with the study steering committee.

"You are invited to learn about the study and provide your thoughts on the corridor’s future," New York State Department of Transportation officials said.

More than 40,000 vehicles travel Route 9A daily, including passenger cars, SUVs, emergency transports, concrete mixers, delivery vans, landscaping trucks with equipment trailers and large 12-wheelers.

The portion of Route 9A to be studied poses a significant risk to motorists. The 100-year-old road has narrow shoulders, low-clearance underpasses, is plagued by poor drainage, flooding and potholes and has general design deficiencies, all of which put a major strain on traffic, as well as on the first responders who answer emergencies and deal with the more than 120 crashes annually on the stretch of roadway under study.

The state balked for years because of the cost of studying, much less changing it. Lawmakers representing the area spent years working on getting funding for a study.

The study is limited to the portion of Route 9A within the Towns of Mount Pleasant and Ossining, so it includes the Village of Briarcliff (which is in both towns). The state transportation department will conduct the study, which will include: the estimated total cost of new guardrail installation; estimated total cost of underpass renovations to accommodate commercial vehicles (some do not fit under the Pleasantville Road bridge); estimated duration of the project; the impact construction will have on local traffic patterns; and the environmental impact of the project.

Want to attend?

• WHAT: Public Workshop II for development of the Briarcliff-Peekskill Parkway, Route 9A, Engineering Scoping Report
• WHEN: 7:30-9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16
• WHERE: Todd Elementary School, 45 Ingham Road, Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510