POUGHKEEPSIE – The eastbound arterial (route 44/55 – Church Street) in Poughkeepsie has been shut down to vehicle traffic while emergency personnel determine the location of burning power lines in the area. The incident began just after 6:00 p.m. on Friday, January 19 and the closure is expected to last for an extended period of time.
City of Poughkeepsie firefighters entered at least one building where the malfunctioning power line was delivering service. Firefighters indicated there was an odor of smoke in the structure and were thoroughly searching the premises to locate any potential fires. Central Hudson crews arrived on the scene and terminated power in the area.
It is common during winter months for road salt to enter manholes and combine with water to interfere with the electric service lines, causing outages and fires.
City of Poughkeepsie police were on the scene to direct motorists to alternate routes.
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