The Massive Hudson Valley Traffic Jams No One Talks About

I thought I had planned the perfect commute to work this morning. Unfortunately, I forgot to take one very special factor into consideration.

There are a few routes for me to take from my home in Newburgh, NY to my office in Poughkeepsie. 9W is great after school buses have returned to their garages, and back roads are perfect to avoid traffic during rush hour (although the horse traffic is another factor all together). But then there's what happened this morning...

Massive Traffic Line in Newburgh, NY

There's no shortage of reasons for long lines of cars on country roads in the Hudson Valley. From school buses to farm tractors to the occasional cyclist who refuses to move over, there's plenty of vehicles to snarl a road trip. Unfortunately, spring brings another culprit that can be found on roads all across the region... and they have a very important job to do.

Watch Out for Road Mowers in the Hudson Valley, NY

In spring, New York State is in full bloom. While that's great news for gardeners (and procreating skunks), it can also spell trouble for country roads at danger of being reclaimed by the weeds and trees on the shoulder. That's where the mowers come in.

Reasons for Road Mowing in the Hudson Valley, NY

This morning, there were no less than 40 cars lined up on Route 32 in Newburgh, NY, all moving at a crawl. The reason for the holdup was the giant mower at the head of the procession which was thankfully (but slowly) cutting back weeds from the highway. It was the same story on Fosler Road, with another mower doing their job at 10 miles per hour (above).

READ MORE: Astonishing Reason for ‘Random’ Line of Cars in Highland, NY

This isn't a complaint against our hardworking Hudson Valley highway departments. Mowing can help improve road visibility, allow better access for stranded vehicles to safely pull over, and even help with drainage. This is just a reminder about the traffic jam you may be least likely to expect, especially on back roads.

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You never know what's just around the corner, so watch out for our local highway departments and their mowers (and feel free to add "there was a mower" into your why-I-was-late-for-work excuse list).