TOWN OF WAPPINGER – A section of State Route 9D between Old State Road to the north and the entrance to Chelsea Ridge apartments on Popula Boulevard floods every time there is more than two minutes of rainfall, creating a major hazard, according to several motorists that are subjected to the standing water on the state road. Mid-Hudson News sent a reporter to travel the section of 9D in the troubled area several times between December 2023 and January 2024 to record video of the significant flooding.
“Every time there is a threat of rain,” motorist Gil Hanson said, DOT brings out some traffic cones and puts up signs warning of the flooding. During the winter, the state parked an old plow truck on the westbound shoulder, just before the flood zone, with a sign that warned of a flooded or icy roadway rather than spending some time to actually fix the dangerous section.”
New York State Assemblyman AJ Beephan represents the affected area and recently became aware of the hazardous conditions. “I was recently made aware of the flooding issues in the vicinity of 9D and Old State Road. As we continue to experience more prevalent weather resulting in dangerous flooding, our office will coordinate with NYS DOT to remedy this issue and develop a plan for other areas in our community.”
Freshman Wappinger Town Supervisor Joseph Cavaccini has been trying to encourage the state to fix the issue since he was a county legislator. “It is our responsibility to provide for the safety of our neighbors and those who navigate through the Town of Wappinger,” he said. “Although we appreciate the State’s efforts to post temporary signage and traffic cones informing motorists of the impending situation they are about to encounter, we need to do more to mitigate this serious problem along State Route 9D.”
Cavaccini expressed his frustration at the delayed DOT response, saying “We have seen record rainfall in the past two years across our region, and we have seen the conditions there get increasingly worse. All of us must evaluate our drainage systems, roadway runoff, and plan for the future to avoid potentially hazardous situations.” Supervisor Cavaccini also offered assistance to the state by offering to have the town highway workers assist in developing and constructing solutions to the lack of drainage in the area. “Our team is ready and willing to assist in any way, I ask our colleagues in state government to take a serious look at Route 9D.”
Video compilation of flooding on Route 9D:
