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PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Flooding on the Saw Mill River Parkway was once again an issue Monday during a downpour that caused road closings and delays in Pleasantville, Mayor Peter Scherer said.
Around 2 p.m., traffic was halted southbound on the parkway and was diverted through Pleasantville from Exit 29 at Marble Avenue. The backed-up traffic detoured into the village and left several village board members calling for electronic signs to be placed along the Saw Mill to alert drivers when it is closed.
"A couple of signs, three or four of those amber alert signs on the side of the road, at the top of the Saw Mill Parkway off (Interstate) 684, at the junction of the Taconic and the Saw Mill Parkway, and one further down the Saw Mill that says it’s closed, so people can get off there before it gets down here, that would help a lot," said Trustee Jonathan Cunningham.
Mount Pleasant Town Administrator Patti Dwyer, who is also a member of the Saw Mill River Parkway Flood Basin Advisory Board, said she has asked the state Department of Transportation to install such signs. Dwyer and village officials, though, said the real flooding problem lies with the parkway, which they believe is sinking.
"There’s some fundamental engineering that has to be done, and I think it extends beyond a few detour signs," said Trustee Brian Skarstad. "There’s a fix, and they’re not addressing the fix."
Dwyer said the flood advisory group will continue to request elevation studies on the parkway, but Scherer does not expect them to be carried through anytime soon.
"The painful truth, the reality, is that there’s no money to accomplish this," Scherer said. "At the time it was last discussed, they were talking about $15 to 20 million to solve the problem in our area."
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