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Road Closed After 9/11 Considered For Reopening

VALHALLA, N.Y. (CBS) ― It was one of the most extreme security measures in the wake of 9/11: a road over a dam owned by New York City was closed to traffic. Although the measure was taken back in 2001, the road in suburban Valhalla is still closed.

Now many think it's time to reconsider.

The signs went up right after the terror attacks, then came the barricades and the guard house. Almost seven years later, the road over Kensico Dam remains closed and a topic of debate.

Closing the road inconvenienced 6,000 drivers who used it each day. Some say it may be time to open the road back up.

"Our goal should be to open our public spaces," said County Legislator Peter Harckham. The more restriction of movement we have, they've won."

Some point to Denver, where a terror threat closed a road over a dam last month. People protested and authorities quickly agreed to reopen the road under police guard for cars and pickups only.

"Light vehicle traffic, and we have police presence in an area. We should explore looking at that," said Harckham.

Sometime next year New York City will reopen the road on top of the dam to people on foot and on bikes, but flatly rules out allowing vehicle traffic.

"Initially I was a skeptic also, I thought the dam should have remained open," said Mount Pleasant Police Chief Lou Alagno.

But Alagno changed his mind after the city's security experts briefed him on the dam's vulnerability to attack by a car or truck bomb.

"There are 30 billion gallons of water behind that structure. If it was compromised it would be catastrophic," he said.

The city agency that controls the dam said vehicle traffic would present an unacceptable terror risk. It's working on a plan, however, to ease traffic congestion caused by the closure.

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