The New York State Department of Transportation announced that it is proposing some much needed safety improvements to the Bear Mountain Parkway in Northern Westchester.
The goal is to reduce the likelihood of crossover crashes that have plagued the parkway. Proposed changes include installing centerline median barriers and adding turning lanes.
The project is expected to begin this summer, with most work completed this fall and project completion scheduled for the spring of 2014.
“After hearing community concerns about the Bear Mountain Parkway, we are taking quick action to implement engineering solutions that will help slow traffic down, protect walkers and prevent dangerous crossover accidents so that both motorists and pedestrians can use the highway more safely,” Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald said in a statement.
Public meetings will be held Feb. 27 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Peekskill and Feb. 28 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Cortlandt Town Hall.
Opened in 1932, the Bear Mountain Parkway carries between 15,000 and 20,000 vehicles daily on four lanes, two in each direction. The parkway is limited to passenger cars during the daytime; trucks are allowed at night to reduce nighttime truck traffic in Peekskill.
