TOWN OF BETHEL, NY — This summer marks the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock Music Festival, and as everyone knows, the festival was held in the Town of Bethel. The New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) has informed Dan Sturm, the Bethel supervisor, that the DOT will begin replacing a culvert on Route 17 in June. The work will be done near Brother Bruno’s and 7X Motors, and Sturm has vowed to prevent it from happening during the height of what is expected to be a very busy season.

He posted a note about it on Facebook that said, “It will involve continual detours and delays on 17B for our upcoming 2019 season. It will destroy any hope we have had of a successful, well run, organized and historic 2019 tourist season. It will also severely impact our local residents quality of life and their ability to get around as needed on an everyday basis. All communications we have had with the DOT have indicated no large projects will be done in 2019. They will also be hurting a great new business (Brother Bruno’s) by taking about half of their parking lot for a detour route. The Town Board and I will do everything in our power to make sure this does not happen this year. We will be reaching out to our governor, state and federal representatives, county officials, Bethel Woods and our local businesses and public for support.”

The DOT has said that no work will be conducted on the weekend of the Woodstock Anniversary itself… and that there will be two useable lanes maintained throughout construction. But Sturm said those two lanes will be in Brother Bruno’s parking lot, and that’s not acceptable.

Sturm said he met with represetnatives from the DOT on April 23, and they were receptive to his requests about changing the construction dates.  They said more information would be forthcoming.