Long-sought crash gate installed on I-84 in Orange County after deadly bus crash

A “crash gate” has been installed on Interstate 84 in Orange County near the site of a bus crash last year that killed two people and injured dozens of high school students from Long Island.

The long-sought gate is meant to help emergency responders access the interstate from Wawayanda more quickly than before.

“Since the horrific bus crash last September, my administration has been focused on working with our federal and local partners to expedite the construction of this access gate and protect New Yorkers,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement on Wednesday. “This access gate makes this stretch of roadway safer, and provides a faster, more direct way for first responders to reach Interstate 84 and save lives.”

After a direct plea to the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced in December that the agency had approved a “long-stalled” state plan for the crash gate. He had said the new access point could save lives considering the Slate Hill Fire District’s closest entrance to I-84 is 4 miles from the firehouse and requires fire trucks to cross into a neighboring fire district to get onto the road.

In February, Hochul announced the state Department of Transportation and Orange County had worked out an agreement whereby the DOT would design and install the new ramp and gate at county Route 49, granting direct access to the westbound lane of I-84, and Wawayanda would maintain it through snow removal and periodic inspections. Access to the eastbound side will be available via an existing turnaround near the access gate.

Crash gates provide secondary, non-public access points to roads, allowing first responders to reach the scene of an accident without having to travel to the next exit ramp. First responders coming from Wawayanda had to access I-84 in a roundabout way — adding as much as 10 minutes to response times, officials have said — which is why local responders, Orange County officials and State Police spent more than a decade asking for emergency access points between the Goshen and Mountain Road exits.

But their calls for action took on renewed fervor after the Sept. 21 charter bus crash.

The bus was carrying 40 students from Farmingdale High School in Nassau County to a band camp in Greeley, Pa. when it crashed down a 50-foot embankment off I-84. The band’s director, Gina Pellettiere, 43, and a retired teacher, Beatrice Ferrari, 77, were killed in the crash; dozens of students were sent to nearby hospitals for treatment; and a contingent of emergency agencies from multiple states responded to the scene.

“Last year’s tragic bus crash in Orange County showed we need to prioritize safety along I-84,” Schumer said in a statement released by Hochul’s office. “… I’m pleased that the Federal Highway Administration heeded my calls and worked with Governor Hochul, Senator Gillibrand, Congressman Ryan and local leaders to expedite construction and make these vital safety upgrades.”