With First Crash Gate Complete, Which Area is Next?

By Idy Perl

In December 2023, Rockland Daily reported on the Federal Highway Administration's approval of a long-awaited emergency access crash gate on a highway.

This decision followed the tragic Farmingdale School District coach bus accident on I-84, which underscored the urgent need for such crucial safety measures on many highways.

Now, the first step in this critical safety improvement has been completed.

A new emergency access gate system has been built on Interstate 84 in Orange County, just 10 months after the fatal bus crash that killed two people and injured forty others. The access gate is located at County Route 49 in the town of Wawayanda, where the bus crash occurred.

The September 2023 accident highlighted the urgent need for a direct access point to I-84 in this area. Local emergency responders had been advocating for such a gate for years, emphasizing how the lack of an emergency access entrance could significantly delay response times. Emergency responders stated that an emergency access gate could have reduced their response time by 10 to 15 minutes during the accident.

As we see the newly built gate for the first time, it remains to be seen whether other critical areas along the thruway in the neighborhood will also receive these important safety enhancements.