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YORKTOWN, N.Y. Southbound traffic on the Taconic State Parkway was snarled as a major construction project started Monday morning.
The first step in the project was to realign the southbound lanes from from three lanes to four by adding the shoulder as a fourth lane, but only two of those lanes are open to southbound traffic.
On Monday, that led to an intimidating expanse of brake lights struck drivers right after the Baldwin Road exit and stop-and-go traffic continued throughout. The most heavily congested traffic was at the point where the concrete barriers squeezed motorists to two lanes.
Beginning Sunday night, concrete barriers were moved into the center of the newly created four lanes which will, starting next Sunday, be divided between northbound and southound traffic. The portion of the road where there was extreme traffic was where the concrete barrier already had been installed. Those barriers should be installed throughout the entire route of the project by next week, which may contribute to the gridlock and traffic scenarios many commuters are anticipating.
The northbound Taconic, from Pines Bridge Road to Underhill Avenue, will be closed next Monday until early November. During that time, two of the newly created four southbound lanes will be used for northbound traffic.
Traffic reportedly did not move as quickly on the alternate routes that drivers took Monday to avoid the Taconic.
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