Saw Mill River Parkway reopens after section collapsed from heavy rain
A section of the Saw Mill River Parkway was closed Monday in Westchester County, and drivers were asked to avoid the area.
The parkway reopened early Tuesday morning, and traffic appears to be on track for the commute.
Watch Chopper 2 over Saw Mill River Parkway weather damage
The New York state Department of Transportation said the damage was caused by the weekend's stormy weather.
A chunk of the roadway buckled just before 7 p.m. Sunday, according to online posts by several local officials. Photos showed a large crack surrounding the perimeter of the damage as the roadway caved into the ground.
While the disruption resembled a sinkhole, Department of Transportation officials weren't calling it that, saying instead it was just weather-related damage.
"Me and my pal, Peyton, were coming around the block, and I saw this lady hit the hole here, or the bump, you might call it, and she was actually airborne for about 30 feet -- no exaggeration -- in the air," Hastings-on-Hudson resident Tommy McMullen said.
McMullen said that car continued down the parkway.
Saw Mill River Parkway closed for roughly 2.5 miles
The southbound lanes were shut down between Lawrence Street in Dobbs Ferry and Farragut Avenue in Hastings-on-Hudson. The disruption impacted some 47,000 drivers in both directions, according to the DOT.
"We immediately mobilized crews to address damage to the Saw Mill River Parkway at Exit 13 caused by this weekend's rainy weather. The parkway has reopened northbound and all efforts are being made to reopen the southbound lanes as soon as possible," the DOT said in a statement.
Delays were expected Monday, as traffic is rerouted onto Saw Mill River Road 9A. Drivers could also take the New York State Thruway to the Major Deegan Expressway for an alternate route.
"Please make your best efforts to avoid the area as delays are expected," the Dobbs Ferry Fire Department posted.
"Please allow extra time when traveling as traffic congestion might be a problem," posted Hastings-on-Hudson.
Southbound parkway traffic was being diverted onto Lawrence Street in Dobbs Ferry.
"It's very hectic. I wasn't expecting this," one driver said.
"Over an hour, 90 minutes -- usually 30," another driver said, adding it was very frustrating.
