Governor Hochul Announces Reopening of State Route 9J in Columbia County Following Catastrophic Flooding

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that State Route 9J in the Town of Stuyvesant, Columbia County, which suffered catastrophic damage during a severe rainstorm in late July, has reopened to traffic. Employing innovative design and engineering techniques, the New York State Department of Transportation successfully expedited repairs and restored this important travel route linking the Hudson Valley and Capital Region in less than four months. A key to the repair was the use of modular, prefabricated concrete blocks - known as superblocks - to stabilize and support the badly-damaged bridge that carries the roadway over Mill Creek.

"Mother Nature struck a fierce blow last summer, dumping a record amount of rain - more than 11 inches in some spots - over a two-day period," Governor Hochul said. "Once the rain stopped falling, our NYSDOT team immediately got to work to repair the damage and get this vital roadway open as quickly as possible. I applaud the talented women and men of NYSDOT for their ability to rapidly respond and their use of innovative engineering solutions, working non-stop to get this important work done so quickly."

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, "Thanks to the leadership and foresight of Governor Kathy Hochul, the New York State Department of Transportation is constantly working to find new and better ways to respond to severe weather events. As such, we were prepared and able to quickly respond, clearing the roadway and repairing State Route 9J following the catastrophic rain event - getting this important travel corridor open again in record time."

State Route 9J is a popular corridor for motorists traveling between the Hudson Valley and Capital Region, offering scenic views of the Hudson River and access to several area commercial destinations as well as recreation attractions - including fishing, camping and boating sites. The July storm dumped more than 11 inches of rain on parts of the region, causing devastating flooding that eroded the foundation and support structure of the bridge carrying the roadway over Mill Creek and necessitating the road's long-term closure.

In order to expedite repairs and reopen the roadway as quickly as possible, NYSDOT employed a system of superblocks - modular, interlocking blocks of prefabricated concrete - to create a new foundation and support structure for the bridge. Because of the growing severity of storms in recent years, NYSDOT has been pre-ordering and stockpiling the blocks so that they can be quickly deployed to address storm damage. The State Route 9J repair was one of the first uses of this system in New York State. These interlocking blocks were used to support the roadway embankment.

Although the road has reopened, work will continue in the coming weeks, including striping and roadside landscaping. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling through this area.

State Route 9J was one of several roads across New York that suffered significant damage from the severe weather that impacted the state. In advance of the storm, Governor Hochul directed State agencies to prepare emergency response assets and stay in constant communication with local governments to monitor weather impacts and respond to requests for assistance. As the storms moved across the region, the Governor deployed disaster resources to impacted areas, including additional Department of Transportation staff, who worked to get State highways and bridges open as quickly as possible.

In the wake of the storm, hundreds of NYSDOT crew members and contractors worked around the clock to repair and reopen numerous roadways in the Capital Region including:

Columbia County:

• State Route 23B in the Town of Greenport
• State Route 22 in the Town of Hillsdale
• State Route 295 in the Town of Chatham
• U.S. 9 in the Town of Kinderhook
• State Route 9H in the Town of Claverack

Rensselaer County:

• State Route 9J in the Village of Castleton and Town of Schodack
• State Route 150 in the Towns of Poestenkill and Schodack
• U.S. 20 in the Towns of Nassau and Schodack
• U.S. 9/US 20 in the City of Rensselaer

Greene County:

• State Route 385 in the Town of Coxsackie

Albany County:

• State Route 5 in the City of Albany
• State Route 910A in the Town of Bethlehem
• State Route 32 in the Town of New Scotland
• State Route 32 in the Town of Bethlehem
• State Route 144 in the Towns of Coeymans and Bethlehem
• State Route 443 in the Town of New Scotland
• State Route 143 in the Town of Coeymans
• U.S. Route 20 (Fuller Road) in the City of Albany

Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Terry O'Leary said, "The reopening of State Route 9J following July's historic flooding is a testament to Governor Hochul's efforts to build a more resilient infrastructure network and the hard work that Commissioner Dominguez and her team at the State Department of Transportation are doing to make that happen. As we transition from summer storms to winter weather, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services stand ready to work with our partners to prepare, respond and recover to keep New Yorkers safe."

State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, "When the July rain storms hit the Hudson Valley, Route 9J in Stuyvesant was one among many of our local roads that suffered catastrophic damage, with floodwaters that washed out a critical travel route for the community. We are incredibly grateful to our DOT crews who worked around the clock to repair 9J and to Governor Hochul for expediting this work so that people can safely regain access."

About the Department of Transportation
It is the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation to provide a safe, reliable, equitable, and resilient transportation system that connects communities, enhances quality of life, protects the environment, and supports the economic well-being of New York State.

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