ALBANY — On Sept. 4, New York State announced plans to transform U.S. Route 9, also known as Broadway, in the villages of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow by installing roundabouts at four key intersections and making other improvements to enhance public safety and improve traffic flow along this vital travel artery in Westchester County.

The upgrades are part of a $50-million project now being designed by the New York State Department of Transportation that will balance the needs of all roadway users, including pedestrians and cyclists, while also facilitating continued economic growth and quality of life in these Hudson Valley communities.

In 2023, NYSDOT initiated the U.S. Route 9 Corridor Safety Enhancements preliminary engineering project to begin working collaboratively with the community and establish meaningful engagement. The Transportation Partnering Committee, comprised of community leaders, held a series of public workshops to determine the needs of five Rivertown communities and establish a vision for the entire corridor. The public’s input was incorporated into the project’s preliminary design and enhancement concepts and helped shape NYSDOT’s federal BUILD grant application for this 1.3-mile section of Broadway in Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown.

The preliminary design for the upcoming project includes the installation of four modern roundabouts in Sleepy Hollow, replacing four signalized intersections. Roundabouts are engineered to maximize safety and minimize congestion, allowing traffic to flow more freely, thereby reducing congestion and travel times. Two other intersections that currently do not have traffic signals will have them installed to increase vehicle and pedestrian safety at those locations.

The roundabouts will be located at the following intersections in Sleepy Hollow: U.S. Route 9 and Pierson Avenue/Gordon Avenue, U.S. Route 9 and Pocantico Street, U.S. Route 9 and Bedford Road/New Broadway, and U.S. Route 9 and Beekman Road.

Based on community input, the plan also includes a 10-foot-wide shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians. The 0.75-mile path will also be physically separated from motor vehicle traffic.

Safety enhancements will include new sections of sidewalk to establish a continuous network on both sides of U.S. Route 9, along with curb extensions, enhanced crosswalks and leading pedestrian intervals at signals. Bus stops along the corridor will be made ADA compliant and upgraded with new shelters and benches to improve access to mass transit.

U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand recently announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation had awarded $25 million to NYSDOT for the project through the highly competitive Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program. Now that funding is secured, the final design will move forward with the approval process on the northernmost section in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2028.