For the first time since April, Old Indian Trail is open from its south end at Old Indian Road through its northern terminus at Milton Landing Park.

The announcement came at the Monday, July 22 meeting of the Marlborough Town Board. A section of the road collapsed last April 23, requiring it to be closed just past 101 Old Indian Trail. This narrow road hugs the side of a bluff overlooking the Hudson River in Milton.

Repairing the roadway involved consulting multiple engineering firms and installing a barricade on the east side of the road. In addition, permission had to be secured from Central Hudson Gas & Electric – which has power lines along the road.

“We were able to use an easement provided by Central Hudson and move the roadway 10 feet to the west,” said Town Supervisor Scott Corcoran. “The blacktop went in last week, and the barriers a week prior to that. So, after a long time, it finally got completed.”

Though initially, the town authorities feared that fixing the road would be quite costly, Corcoran estimated that the repair cost approximately $10,000 – with much of the labor done by the town’s Highway Department. In addition, the town received conflicting reports from multiple engineering firms regarding what to do about the road’s subsurface.

One of those firms advised the town to drill deep into the roadside cliff, enabling the installation of rods and supports. However, a second engineering firm noted that doing so would disturb a layer of soft shale underneath. The town took the latter approach.

“They also recommended that we install interlocking ‘Jersey barriers’ on the east side of the road,” said Corcoran.

The Highway Department added reflective striping on the barriers, for nighttime safety, and heavy truck traffic is restricted. A new drain was installed at the bottom of 101 Old Indian Trail, to prevent washouts of the roadway during storms.

Board member Dave Zambito praised Corcoran for the project’s outcome, noting that a more costly approach would have had an impact on funding for other town projects. “He’s very humble about this, but the good stuff should not go unnoticed,” Zambito said.

Among other announcements, the Town Board intends to reintroduce the revised ridgeline-protection ordinance in the upcoming weeks. The input on the proposal came back from the town’s attorneys late last week, and there is a rule that it remain before all board members for seven days before the board can vote on it. “So obviously, we wouldn’t have made the cutoff [for this meeting],” said Corcoran.

Corcoran also said that Zambito is expected to recuse himself from voting on the matter, because his home is along the ridgeline. The measure will then require the votes of the four remaining board members to pass. All must be present, which can be difficult during summer – thus, the measure will not likely be on the agenda until later next month.

Among other measures, Maribeth Wooldridge-King updated the board on the Conservation Advisory Committee’s project to collect aluminum-can tabs. A receptacle for this purpose is now in the lobby of the Marlborough Police Department. In addition to encouraging the recycling of aluminum cans, local Shriners collect the tabs as a fundraiser.

“They raise money for their vehicle, which transports kids to hospitals and medical appointments,” noted King. The project was the brainchild of Don Smerdon, a member of the CAC and a transport driver for the local Shriners chapter.

The board also voted unanimously in favor of the following:

• Setting September 14 as the date for an upcoming Milton Landing Festival. The event promises food, music, and games – including a cornhole tournament – and last took place in the summer of 2019. It supports the Friends of Milton Landing Park, a group that was largely responsible for creating this park along the Hudson River.

• Accepted the donation of three wall clocks for the Marlborough Community Center from Thelma Mannese of the Marlboro/Milton Senior Citizens Club. The clocks will be installed in the two large conference rooms at the center, as well as its kitchen.

• Okayed a request from the Marlborough Democratic Committee to hold its regular meetings at the Community Center. The meetings take place at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month.