It’s nearly time. Beginning March 10, the southbound entrance ramp from Route 9 to the Tappan Zee Bridge in Tarrytown will be closed to traffic as construction on the new bridge continues over the next four years.
Commuters saw heavy traffic delays when the ramp initially closed in December. However, transportation officials contend the closure will not have a significant impact on traffic.
The delays in December, they say, were caused by a combination of events, including multiple accidents, a car fire, snowy weather and emergency repairs on the George Washington Bridge, which diverted traffic to the Tappan Zee Bridge.
Drivers who wish to use the ramp, known as Ramp E, Â will be directed to a Route 119 “jug handle” immediately after the ramp for a different entrance onto the bridge. It has been used several times before.
Once the ramp is closed, it will be used for construction access, staging and equipment storage in an effort to reduce congestion on local roadways.
This will be a traffic nightmare. Any reassurances to the contrary are totally false. The traffic southbound on Route 9 will back up. The jug-handle to 119 is not adequate. This closure was tried before and it did not work. The tenants in 303 South Broadway will not be able to exit the parking lot unless a traffic light is put up.