Bridge Opens But Storm Closure Still Persist in New York

It was almost a month ago that flash flooding caused multiple road closures in Orange County, New York after a storm came through dumping record-breaking rain in a short amount of time. Travel through the area has been interrupted ever since.

It appears that today the last part of the road closures that had caused traffic to be re-routed since the storm on July 9th has been reopened. However, travelers could still see residual work in the areas that were originally closed and some of the parks remain closed.

Popolopen Bridge on 9W in Fort Montgomery New York Re-Opened

The opening of the Popolopen Bridge means that traffic can now travel directly back up and down Route 9W in the area of Fort Montgomery in Orage County. This area is not only necessary for commuters but it is also a popular route for people visiting the area.

The bridge was the last part of the road closures that were resulting in people having to re-route miles out of their way to get from Southern Dutchess, Putnam, and Rockland Counties to parts of Orange County. Just north of the Bear Mountian Bridge and the Palisades Parkway, the Popolopen Bridge was a major part of many commuters daily to and from work. It is a main arterial to West Point.

Is Bear Mountain State Park and Trailside Zoo Re-Opened?

Even though Route 9W has re-opened and so have most of the roads that were shut down as a result of the storm many parks and attractions remain closed. The Palisades Parks Conservancy posted yesterday that the Bear Mountain State Park remains closed 4 weeks after the storm.

What got damaged at Bear Mountain State Park during the July Storm?

The Bear Mountain State Park still has damage they are repairing. These pictures were shared yesterday on Facebook of the original damage. The Palisades Park Conservancy is encouraging people to sign up for the newsletter to stay up to date on the park's rebuild progress.

The Trailside Museums and Zoo at Bear Mountain State Park are also still closed as they continue to repair the storm damage from July 9th. They are sharing animal updates on their official Facebook page if you want to check in on the Crew.

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