Drivers using Route 9W in Haverstraw are expected to see increased traffic as a major construction project begins.

Officials hope the construction will improve access to the eastern half of the village by creating a cloverleaf. They say during the project, traffic is expected to be heaviest between Short Clove Road and New Main Street.

"We'll be able to eliminate Short Clove Road and drivers won't have to go over the tracks to get down to Riverside Drive into the village of Haverstraw," says James Olsen, of the state's Department of Transportation.

Heavy construction on the $30 million project is expected to start in July. If all goes well, officials say it should be completed by July 2010.