Hudson Valley’s Nearly 18-Month Commuting Nightmare Is Over

This construction season has been a busy one for local road crews with 21 engineering and highway projects having been finished by the Dutchess County Department of Public Works with a focus on having the work done on or close to schedule.

The final piece in that puzzle was work done on Noxon Road in LaGrange, which started in July of 2015. Over the course of nearly a year and a half crews worked to improve the roadway alignment, install new drainage, and construct paved shoulders on both sides of the road. New turn lanes and the installation of new traffic signals at the intersection at Titusville Road were also completed during that time.

"This year has been an impressive and productive season for our team at DPW," said Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro. "We are grateful for their efforts to work throughout the spring, summer, and fall season to complete several significant road, bridge, and paving projects on time and within or under budget."

Molinaro added that the work, "will provide residents and visitors with a more safe, operational, and ridable way of travel throughout Dutchess County."

The total cost for the project was estimated to be close to $6 million on a road which close to 11,000 motorists drive on a daily basis.

Dale Borchert, chairman of the Dutchess County Legislature, hailed the work as an important step in helping the local residents.

"The intersection of Noxon and Titusville Road is exceptionally busy," he said. "The recently completed work that included new equipment and upgrades to the roadway is critically important work that will ensure that this area is safe and easily navigable to the thousands of motorists who utilize these roadways."

Other projects which the county DPW has finished this year include:

• Bridge RH-18 replacement project on Linden Avenue (CR 79) in Red Hook
• Reconstruction of Crum Elbow Road (CR 41) in Hyde Park
• Reconstruction of Middlebush Road (CR 93) in Wappinger
• Bridges PO-17X and L-43 replacement project on Degarmo Road (CR 43) in LaGrange and Poughkeepsie
• Bridge C-31 replacement project on Hibernia Road in Clinton
• Reconstruction of Noxon Road (CR 21) in LaGrange
• Bridges PP-2 and PP-11 replacement project on Hoffman Road in Pine Plains
• Bridge PV-15 replacement project and road realignment on North Avenue (CR 72) in Pleasant Valley

• 3.19 miles of Bog Hollow Road (CR 3), Towns of Amenia and Dover
• 0.53 miles of Jackson Street (CR 34), Town of Fishkill
• 2.11 miles of Boston Corners Road (CR 63), Town of North East
• 1.0 miles of Red Schoolhouse Road (CR 36), Town of Fishkill
• 2.0 miles of Centre/Clinton Hollow Road (CR 18), Town of Clinton
• 2.96 miles of South Quaker Lane (CR 16), Town of Hyde Park
• 1.0 miles of All Angels Hill Road (CR 94), Town of Wappinger
• 0.85 miles of Clinton Corners Road (CR 13), Town of Pleasant Valley
• 1.71 miles of Old Quaker Hill Road (CR 66), Town of Pawling
• 0.94 miles of New Hackensack Road (CR 104), Town of Wappinger
• 1.45 miles of Little Rest Road (CR 99), Town of Washington
• 1.7 miles of shoulder paving on Overlook Road (CR 47), Town of LaGrange
• 1.39 miles of shoulder paving on Creek Road (CR 100), Towns of Hyde Park and Poughkeepsie
• 0.44 miles of micro-paving on Jackson Road (CR 110), Town of Poughkeepsie
• 0.68 miles of micro-paving on North Quaker Lane (CR 16), Town of Hyde Park

For his part, Dutchess County Commissioner of Public Works Robert Balkind said it was a busy but successful time for his staff.

"I commend the work of our DPW staff for their continued efforts to ensure our engineering and highway projects are completed in a cost-effective and efficient manner." He added, "We appreciate the patience from the public as we know these projects can cause an inconvenience in our everyday commutes; however, scheduled improvements to our roadway system will go a long way in enhancing conditions of our roads and bridges for motorists throughout the County."

While the construction season is done, Molinaro encouraged motorists to still "be mindful of crews cleaning our roadways of snow and ice in order to make travel safe for all."