Electeds Demand an End to Route 59 Road Closures Due to Flooding

By M. C. Millman

by M.C. Millman

Elected officials held a press conference this morning on Route 59 in West Nyack at the site of continued unprecedented flooding and road closures calling on New York State and the federal government to take steps to provide short-term and long-term solutions to the problem.

The purpose of the press conference was to demand state and federal action to remediate the issues causing the constant closures of Route 59 after nearly every significant rain event. Tuesday night's storm was the eighth closure over the last year.  Weather reports indicate a storm this weekend will likely lead to the ninth closure. 

"This is a problem that we've seen going back at least 100 years," Senator Bill Weber said during the press conference, "and to have this continue in 2024 is unacceptable...We have been in contact with the DOT over the past couple of days and right now, they have no plan. So it's unacceptable...We need a long-term solution that's going to be a solution ...That's going to take a multi-pronged, multi-agency approach, a collaboration between federal and state and local officials, and having the state DOT quarterback at. We're going to need federal funding and state funding and the collaboration of all the agencies to make sure this is done and done right... At this point, it's a quality of life issue and a safety issue, and frankly, it's something that should've been done a long time ago." 

"I come down here every storm," Clarkstown Town Supervisor George Hoehmann stated. "The water this last time was above the guard rail. You can imagine how dangerous that is."

"We are working with the state electives and the local town officials to get this resolved," District Director Rafi Silberberg tells Rockland Daily.  "one of the potential fixes is dredging in the Hackensack River, which will require working with the Army Corps of Engineers, CSX and Veolia. Hopefully, that will resolve part of it or most of the issue, but the State DOT also needs to devise a plan to fix the actual roads."

Attendees included Senator Bill Weber,  Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski,  District Director Rafi Silberberg representing Congressman Mike Lawler's office, and Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann,