We must ask New Castle Official\'s to STOP BIDDING The Department of Transportation\'s three (3) lane highway Bridge and associated Highway extension that is neither in context nor compatible with the character of the Chappaqua Hamlet and misses badly to be sensitive to the architectural history of the bridge being replaced due to, but not limited to, a massive 264\' retaining wall, holding back tons of land fill and concrete pavement over the tree lined grassy hillside facing the station, for a right hand turning lane ending at Greeley Avenue. The highway and bridge structure is as long as 2 football fields and is enclosed with 4 feet high solid stone barrier walls that obliterate many views of our town from your car. This 2 part, Big Bridge/Big Highway, solution engineered to span over the Metro-North RR and Allen Place, aimed at the heart of the Hamlet, becomes an interstate style highway with extra wide shoulders resulting in wider concrete surfaces then striped with required yellow or white painted caution markings to split the surplus pavement into four travel lanes past the triangle. Perhaps most important to our request to STOP BIDDING is the fact that this Big Bridge/Big Highway project fails to provide any effective traffic flow solution at the triangle intersection or through the business district; but instead, further congests the heart of town with a fresh supply of vehicles into the already non-functional traffic problems of the hamlet. Concurrently yet totally independent, efforts dubbed \"community place making\", concentrating on our shop-keepers need for Foot Traffic and the quality of pedestrian shopping and gathering places, is working to provide a safe, intimate pedestrian experience at the very same locale, the entry to the heart of the shopping district and the gateway into our town, the triangle. It seems the two efforts are out of sync, each as far apart as can be; safe small town feel in one camp, the other, a Big Bridge/Big Highway vehicle centered mind set; two independent objectives that become dysfunctional when merged. Action needed; our local elected officials need to intercede with NYSDOT to STOP the BIDDING and have alternate solutions considered with public participation. Some unanswered questions. 1. How will traffic congestion be mitigated and what are the delay projections 2. What is the updated cost of the Proposed Bridge Project including the extra Highway work needed for the Retaining Wall and Tri-angle Intersection 3. What is the design and cost for the Department of Transportation\'s Alternative 2: Bridge Rehabilitation that maintains two lanes of traffic at all times during rehabilitation

Sponsor

Links