NYSDOT Sets Aside $20M For Planned Route 9A Modernization Project

BRIARCLIFF MANOR, NY — NYSDOT funds will pave the way for a long-awaited roadwork project.

NYS Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Dana Levenberg announced on Wednesday that the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has allocated $20 million in SFY 2025 to support Phase 1 of the Briarcliff Manor - Peekskill Parkway (Route 9A) modernization project.

"For the many residents, commuters and business owners who regularly travel on this stretch of Route 9A, this is the best news possible," Harckham said. "The safety of this roadway has long been an issue because of potholes, persistent flooding and aging infrastructure. I am heartened that a major investment toward upgrading this important thoroughfare is being made, and I thank Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins for fighting for this funding and DOT for recognizing its necessity."

The funding will cover the segment of Route 9A from the Taconic State Parkway to Pleasantville Road in Briarcliff Manor and include preliminary engineering, detailed/final design and the environmental coordination activities necessary for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) requirements.

SEE ALSO: Briarcliff Manor Calls For NYS To Fund Route 9A Redesign

Briarcliff Manor Mayor Steve Vescio has been a vocal proponent of the project.

"I commend New York State for budgeting the funds to design the necessary safety upgrades to this critical regional transportation corridor," Vescio said. "We look forward to working with our state partners as this process continues to ensure the project moves through design and towards construction in a timely and efficient manner."

In 2022, the NYSDOT committed $3 million to an engineering and safety study of Route 9A, after urging from state legislators, local elected officials and residents. The roadway, already narrow and without shoulders or breakdown lanes, has deteriorated in recent years, due to heavy use and storm damage. Several public workshops have given stakeholders and residents the chance to meet with NYSDOT officials to express their concerns about the roadway and possible future plans.

"We have heard our constituents loud and clear: Route 9A has been neglected for too long," Levenberg said. "That era of neglect is coming to an end now, with scheduled repaving starting at the end of June and this new commitment of $20 million for the next phase of the modernization of the Briarcliff-Peekskill Parkway. I am so grateful to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins for her strong support of this project and helping us get to this point. Finding funding to fix this road has been among my top priorities since taking office last year, and I am so pleased to see our collective efforts bearing fruit."

Over 40,000 vehicles travel on Route 9A each day, including cars, vans, fire engines, garbage trucks and 18-wheelers. With its tight confines, numerous on- and off-ramps and low bridges, it is one of the state’s most dangerous stretches of roadway, with more than 120 major accidents a year.

"As the Majority Leader of the State Senate and a proud representative of Westchester County, it was a pleasure to work with Senator Pete Harckham to secure $20 million in this year’s budget for the Route 9A modernization project," Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said. "This investment underscores our commitment to enhancing infrastructure and promoting safety in our local communities. I commend Senator Harckham for his dedication to improving our roadways. I am eager to see the positive impact this project will have on the region’s transportation network."