Expect a Mess Next Week on the Poughkeepsie Arterial

If you think it’s no picnic coming across the Mid Hudson Bridge into Poughkeepsie, just wait until tomorrow. According to a statement from the City of Poughkeepsie, the arterial will be down to one lane from Jefferson Street eastbound to Academy Street.

It’s only a few blocks, but it’s a few of my least favorite blocks to travel on a good day. First of all, that intersection at Jefferson and the Arterial already feels like a death trap. And that’s on a good day. Then you have to get through Market Street all the way to Academy. It’s normally three lanes and it’s going down to one.

Here’s the scoop. The project will begin at 8AM on Monday and continue from 8AM to 2PM at least through Wednesday. The city wants to make motorists aware that they should anticipate delays and plan accordingly. They would also like to remind you to slow down and remember to drive responsibly in work zones, where fines are doubled for speeding. Be prepared to take a deep breath and play music that you enjoy. And with any luck at all, things will go smoothly.

It’s only a few blocks and a few days, so I think we’re going to make it through, but you definitely want to leave yourself extra time if that’s the way you travel to work, especially if your arrival time is after 8AM. Or, you might even want to find a different route for a couple of days. And it ends at 2PM, so it shouldn’t affect the afternoon rush. Good luck traveling over the Arterial in the next few days and no road rage, please. You’ve been warned.