Construction crews began repaving a long-troubled stretch of Route 82 this week, starting a $2.5 million state project after more than two years of complaints and coordinated pressure from town, county, and state officials.
The New York State Department of Transportation is resurfacing 9.2 miles from Route 44 to just north of the Brook Meadow Lane and Hill Road intersection in the towns of Pleasant Valley, Washington, and Stanford. Work will take place overnight to limit disruptions, with flaggers alternating traffic through lane closures.
No detours are planned. The department expects the project, being completed by A. Colarusso & Son Inc. of Hudson, to be finished later this fall.
The work addresses the southern portion of a 16-mile corridor, extending from Route 44 in Salt Point to Route 199 in Pine Plains, that officials originally asked the state to overhaul. The remaining northern section is not included in the current project.
The campaign began formally in March 2024, when then-Stanford Supervisor Wendy Burton, the Stanford Town Board, Dutchess County Legislator Chris Drago, and Pine Plains Supervisor Brian Walsh wrote to state Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez.
They described a roadway marked by deep potholes, deteriorating patches, and drivers veering toward the center of the road to avoid damaged pavement.
“There are too many people straddling the double yellow lines to avoid the potholes,” the officials wrote. Their letter also warned of risks to bicyclists and motorists, particularly during the winter, and cited damage to private vehicles and State Police cars.
The department responded the following month that the corridor was not included in its capital program, according to later correspondence from Stanford officials, and directed them to the agency’s Region 8 office.
In June 2024, Drago and Stanford Town Board member Nathan Lavertue met with regional transportation officials and toured some of the most severely deteriorated sections. Maintenance crews subsequently made repairs, but officials said the pavement continued to deteriorate faster than it could be patched.
The Stanford Town Board renewed its appeal in May 2025, inviting State Sen. Michelle Hinchey and Assemblymember Didi Barrett to discuss the road and potential solutions beyond routine maintenance.
“The deterioration of the roadway is outpacing the abilities of the NYSDOT District 8 to provide safe travel along this portion of Route 82,” town officials wrote. “The 16-mile stretch of roadway is unsafe in its current condition and is a perennial issue” for which traditional maintenance was no longer sufficient.
Ten days later, Barrett wrote to the department’s regional leadership, citing complaints about vehicle damage and crashes and asking that the corridor be included in the state’s next five-year capital plan.
Barrett described Route 82 as a major thoroughfare for eastern Dutchess County and said its uneven, heavily patched surface had cost residents thousands of dollars in repairs.
“Residents of rural areas spend more time driving on our roads because we have few other options,” she wrote. “We deserve the same safe road conditions that other parts of the state have.”
Hinchey said her office and Barrett’s had pressed the department to make the corridor a priority after lawmakers secured funding for road improvements in the previous state budget.
“Investing in our local roads makes a difference we can see and feel right away in our daily lives,” Hinchey said in an email to the Herald. “This road has needed attention for far too long, and I’m proud that paving is finally set to start.”
In a newsletter, Town Supervisor Julia Descoteaux credited the work to collective effort involving Hinchey, Barrett, Drago, County Legislator Eric Alexander, and town officials.
Lavertue told the Herald the project was the result of sustained cooperation among several levels of government.
“It’s been a long journey, and we’re grateful to see this important project moving forward,” he said.
Great work!!! Thank you. 82 has been a terrible hazard for too long!