Bridge Replacement Over Saw Mill Parkway Completed

HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, NY — The replacement of the Ravensdale Road Bridge in Hastings-on-Hudson was announced Friday by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The $19.45 million project installed a new span over the Saw Mill River Parkway and expanded pedestrian and bicycle access to the South County Trailway.

Hochul said the project will ensure a crucial road to the village of Hastings-on-Hudson remains open and accessible for many years to come, while also providing new recreational opportunities for pedestrians and cyclists.

"By modernizing our transportation network, New York State will be able to support all modes of travel, protect our environment and provide communities with the infrastructure they need to grow and prosper," she said in a news release.

The Ravensdale Road Bridge is the only crossing over the Saw Mill River Parkway in the village.

Begun in the spring of 2020, the project replaced the original two-span structure that was built in 1945 with a new, single span bridge with 6-foot shoulder and 5-foot sidewalks on each side to better accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists.

As part of the project, the state Department of Transportation also rehabilitated an abandoned bridge located just to the north of the Ravensdale Road Bridge and used it to create a first-ever, direct link between the village and the South County Trailway. The rehabilitated bridge is now part of a new, 900-foot-long access path that connects to the trailway from the Ravensdale Road/Jackson Avenue and State Route 9A (Saw Mill River Road) intersection.

The South County Trailway runs through Westchester County between Yonkers and Greenburgh, connecting Van Cortlandt Park and Tarrytown Lakes Park. It's part of a four-trail system that includes Old Putnam Trail to the south and the North County Trailway and Putnam Trailway to the north. They combine for 45 miles of mostly off-road travel along an old railroad corridor.

A new drainage system was also constructed to prevent flooding along Ravensdale Road. New landscaping, including about 100 deciduous trees, shrubs and plants, was added, along with a landscaped berm to protect area residents from roadway noise.

Multiple recycling techniques were used during construction to reduce the project's environmental impacts, including the reuse of granular materials for walls and various other needs. Concrete from the old bridge was used in building a ramp for another project in Westchester County.