PLEASANTVILLE – Construction has been completed on two new bridges that carry the Saw Mill River Parkway over the Saw Mill River in the Village of Pleasantville.
Located between Exits 26 and 28 on the parkway, the new bridges and a newly stabilized 1.3-mile stretch of the roadbed adjacent to the two structures will enhance safety and improve resiliency along a vital commuter artery that provides access to the Governor Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge and the New York State Thruway which has been prone to flooding during heavy rains.
The work, which cost approximately $38 million, was done as part of an ongoing, $115 million project to replace or renovate several bridges in lower Westchester County to better withstand severe weather events and improve travel throughout the busy corridor.
Begun in the summer of 2020, the project replaced the two bridges that were built in 1930 with modern, single span, steel girder bridges that are several feet higher than the original structures and better able to withstand floods.
The adjacent roadway, which had been prone to settling, was stabilized with nearly 5,000 wood piles that were driven into a more solid ground layer.
New, higher capacity drainage systems were also added to accommodate storm water runoff.
During construction, asphalt from the original bridges was recycled and used on the road deck for the new bridges and native vegetation species were planted to help beautify and protect the landscape.
