The road, which runs over the top of the Kensico Dam in Valhalla, will be open to passenger vehicles weekdays between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. It has been closed to traffic on and off since Sept. 11, 2001 and is currently closed at the request of New York City Department of Environmental Protection, which has raised security concerns about the dam and the Kensico Reservoir. The closing of the roadway has been a major inconvenience to Mount Pleasant and North Castle motorists and emergency responders and has been a point of contention between the Spano administration and NYC’s DEP.

“New York City DEP has failed to be responsive on a host of security issues and has failed to follow through on other things they said they would do to secure the dam,’’ said Spano. “We are very frustrated with DEP’s lack of responsiveness, and have decided to do what is best for our communities given that the DEP has not provided us with sufficient information to warrant keeping this roadway closed.’’

As an example of the DEP’s lack of follow through, Spano said that the DEP has ignored the county’s request to have a bomb blast effect study of the dam done by the Federal Bureau of Reclamation to show whether the dam needs to remain closed.  The decision to reopen the roadway during certain hours was made after a meeting June 11 that included Spano, County Legislators William Ryan, Richard Wishnie and Robert Astorino, Meehan, Lombardi and local police, fire and emergency services providers.

County Legislator Astorino, who represents the towns of North Castle and Mount Pleasant, said that reopening the road for limited times during the day will provide tremendous relief to residents in his district. More than 6,000 cars a day use the roadway a day, he said.

 “Opening Westlake Drive is the right move.  It will immediately alleviate the enormous traffic burden in Valhalla and North White Plains, as well as other arteries like Nannyhagen Road in Thornwood and Bear Ridge Road in Pleasantville,’’ said Astorino. “More importantly, police, fire, and ambulance personnel will be able to get to emergencies faster. We’re still demanding New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection provide better and more visible security at all locations of the dam, including the reservoir.  I’m certain the road can be open and the dam can be safe and secure at the same time.”  

Spano said that county police will set up a checkpoint at the dam to monitor vehicles during the hours that the roadway is open to traffic. Vehicles larger than passenger vans will not be allowed to use the road even during these hours. He estimated it would cost several hundred thousand dollars a year to provide this police protection, but said that the county planned to deduct the cost from money it paid the New York City DEP for water it provided to the Grassland Complex in Valhalla, which this year is expected to amount to about $486,000.

Spano said that the county would use the summer, when traffic flow was lighter due to school closings and vacations, to develop a plan for re-opening the road, which will include police patrols, a checkpoint and barriers. He estimated it would take about 60-75 days to prepare.

 “We will use this time to prepare a plan for securing the roadway during the hours it will be open,’’ he said. “Given the DEP’s lack of action, we really have no choice but to move ahead on our own. We cannot allow this situation to go on indefinitely as it continues to be a real hardship to so many of our residents.’’