Rt 9 Will Temporarily Close in Dutchess This Weekend, Plan Ahead

A complete shutdown of a section of Route 9 and a couple of crowded events will cause travel delays in Dutchess County this weekend.

There are a few reasons why you may want to avoid Route 9 over the Memorial Day weekend. Road congestion and an entire shutdown of the road in Hyde Park will make it difficult to travel on the busiest road in Dutchess County.

First, Marist College will be hosting a "do-over" graduation for the class of 2020 on Saturday. Because the ceremony was canceled due to the pandemic, undergraduate and graduate students from 2020 are being invited back for an official ceremony. The commencement will take place on Saturday, May 28 starting at 11am.

A Marist faculty member tells us that attendance is expected to be high at the event. Signs are already posted on Route 9 warning motorists to expect delays on Saturday due to a high volume of visitors.

Another event will also be taking place this weekend that will trigger a scheduled shut down of Route 9 in Hyde Park. Officials are reminding residents that this year marks the return of the Memorial Day parade after a two-year hiatus. Those who have recently moved to the area have never experienced the Dutchess County Memorial Day Parade and are most likely unaware of the road closures that accompany the annual event. Last year a socially-distanced caravan took the place of the crowded parade.

Floats and marchers will begin assembling as early as 8:30am at the Roosevelt Theater and Hyde Park Brewing Company. The parade will step off at 10am and travel north on Route 9 towards town hall on Main Street. In years past, the parade has drawn an enormous crowd of people from all over the county. Officials say to expect Route 9 to be completely closed to traffic in Hyde Park until approximately 11:30am.