Village scheduled to see repaving of Route 117 in 2027

Route 117 in Mount Kisco. THANE GRAUEL PHOTO

By MARTIN WILBUR

Mount Kisco may receive some much-needed relief to fix a portion of one of its deteriorating state roads but it will have to wait until next year.

A New York State Department of Transportation spokesperson said Wednesday that the agency is scheduled to move forward with the resurfacing of Route 117 in the village for the 2027 construction season. The project is currently in the design phase.

Village officials have repeatedly raised the issue publicly as the worsening condition of state roads in Mount Kisco has seemingly accelerated this winter with the excessive cold and snowy weather, and while state roads in neighboring municipalities have either been improved or are scheduled for work. The state announced that Route 133 is due for resurfacing this year from Route 9 in Ossining through Millwood and Chappaqua but will stop at the New Castle-Mount Kisco town line.

“Route 133 is the worst when you approach the downtown,” said Mayor J. Michael Cindrich. “I wouldn’t do more than 20 mph. There are significant potholes.”

Last week, Deputy Mayor Karen Schleimer said that it is her understanding that Route 117 hasn’t been repaved in 33 years while Route 133 hasn’t been resurfaced in 20 years. Schleimer said she learned that the average pavement schedule is 15 years in the DOT’s Region 8, which includes Westchester County.

However, the DOT spokesperson said the decision to repave roads is based on conditions that are continually evaluated by the department.

“Instead of using a cyclical paving schedule, NYSDOT makes decisions regarding resurfacing, rehabilitation and reconstruction based on our engineering-based, asset management approach to assess pavement conditions,” said the spokesperson, Heather Pillsworth. “NYSDOT also continually reviews conditions on all our roadways and performs maintenance as needed.”

Asked if the Route 117 work will move forward regardless of whether the Preston Way bridge has been reopened, Pillsworth reiterated that the schedule includes Route 117 for repaving next year.

There was no mention of when Mount Kisco’s portion of Route 133 might be scheduled for improvements.

But for Cindrich, it’s apparent that Mount Kisco’s state roads have been largely ignored. Earlier this week, Cindrich said he drove along Route 128 to Armonk and once he reached North Castle the condition of the pavement improved.

“They just haven’t fulfilled their responsibility,” Cindrich said of the DOT. “That’s my opinion.”

Assemblymember Chris Burdick (D-93) said he and the Westchester delegation in the state legislature have been pressing Gov. Kathy Hochul to commit to an additional $150 million for roads and bridges in the upcoming fiscal year 2027 budget that is still being debated. 

Hochul proposed $688 million, the same level as the current year. That includes $100 million for the Pave Our Potholes program; $150 million in highways through the PAVE-NY program; $200 million to fund local projects from the BRIDGE NY program; $100 million for Extreme Winter Recovery funding; and $140 million for the State Touring Route program.

“We’re going to continue to press for that,” Burdick said of more road funding. “There’s no question that not only for Mount Kisco but throughout the Hudson Valley it’s a very hot topic of concern among our constituents.”

He urged residents to not only reach out to his and state Sen. Pete Harckham’s office, but to contact the governor’s office urging for more money to repair roads.

Until the work can be done on Route 117, Cindrich appealed to the public to drive carefully over the rough surfaces to avoid damage to their vehicles, and for bicyclists to use caution.

“We don’t want people riding the bicycles on the sidewalks,” he said. “Riding a bicycle on 117 is dangerous in and of itself, exacerbated by the potholes. It’s actually dangerous.”

DOT maintenance crews are also working to repair potholes on state highways across the Hudson Valley. 

“This year’s intense winter weather has seen an increased number of potholes, and our crews have stepped up to respond, deploying almost 10,000 tons of patch in the region to keep our roads safe,” Pillsworth said.