"I know it's dangerous to mention the ""N"" word (Nyack) while it's still September. Shorter days mean shorter rides soon and one could find them in a bit of trouble 2-wheelin' up to the Runcible Spoon. As of now, at least heading north, without hesitation I would opt for 501 over Nyack. Here's why:
I noticed alot of construction work occuring while driving on Rte 9W this evening. Work is still being done on the shoulder, heading south on 9W, just before approaching Hudson Terrace (old news).
More notable, there is alot of shoulder construction work on the north side. (I'd guess approx 3 or 4 sections). In particular this includes areas with a single car lane with the wide orange stripped, sand filled road barriers occupying the little bit of shoulder that was there to begin with. Not good if you are traveling by bike."
9W road condition
"Weblink:
http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/capital/stip/updates/9Walpine.pdf
Excerpt:
Route / Program Rt. 9W Alpine / Tenafly
""Vicinity of Montammy Drive to New York State Line, rehabilitation.""
""This project will provide for intersection improvements along 9W at six separate locations. Improvements at the intersections will include widening to provide a left-turn lane and shoulders, upgrading traffic signals and lighting, as well as vertical and horizontal geometry. This project is designed to be bicycle/pedestrian compatible.""
County: Bergen
Municipality: Alpine Boro, Tenafly Boro
Mileposts: 5.16 - 11.17
Program Category: Roadway Preservation - Hwy Rehab and Recon.
Sponsor: NJ DOT
Note: The program is dated 4/28/2003 and still going. There is a table showing construction phases and funding. Looks like it may take as long as 2007 to complete. Hope that's wrong.
By the way, I led a bike ride for the Chinese Mountain Club (a NYC-area hike & bike club, although Chinese, they welcome non-Chinese like myself) in June. We had no problems on Rt. 9W, from Englewood Cliffs to Rt. 340 to Nyack. We carefully rode past constructed areas north.
Hope this helps,
Alfredo
"
Unless this is a lot more than a week ago, it is not really dangerous but another route is a good idea.
501 up to Rockleigh and Closter should put you back on 9W just south of the meeting place for the clean up.
Is 9W still under construction around and north of Alpine? I've been keeping to 501 since the road work began on 9W a couple of months ago. Anyone know the prognosis or when the work will be completed?
Thanks
"They appear to have mostly finished in the area around Alpine and have moved the operation to the North and South. This morning there were construction crews directing single lane traffic in the areas around the Columbia Observatory and ""The Esplanade."""
After I posted my message this morning, I decided to ride up and see for myself.
There are still a couple of sections north of Alpine, on the northbound side, where there is no shoulder, due either to construction or pylons blocking the way.
Southbound, there's no shoulder at the top of State Line hill, and the right side of the road has a wall of concrete barriers separating it from more construction.
These sections are fairly short - less than a mile - but they do make the road quite narrow. Traffic was light this morning, but I think I'll wait 'til the project is a little further along before riding that stretch of 9W!
None of you has mentioned the milled pavement on 9W from the intersection with Hudson Terrace to just south of the intersection with Hollywood (the gas station).
You can avoid the whole section by taking the Sage detour. It's been over a week, and there's been no new pavement. I am ecstatic on how nice this segment will be once it is repaved. As for the rest of the reconstruction effort, which seems dedicated at widening much of the road, does anybody know if there will be a shoulder once they are done?
"""This project is designed to be bicycle/pedestrian compatible."" Hopefully that means nice shoulders.
It is part of the official New York Bike Route 9, so they should have planned in bikes.
http://www.dot.state.ny.us/pubtrans/bikemap.html#br
(Although, it is interesting to note that the specific bike route 9 page does not work.)"
