A new double-drive thru McDonald's restaurant is coming to one of the busiest areas in Dutchess County.

Construction crews were working hard on Tuesday to prepare for the construction of the Hudson Valley's newest fast food restaurant. An enormous work site has been fenced in and heavy equipment has been brought to construct a brand new state-of-the-art McDonald's restaurant.

What will the new McDonald's look like?

According to renderings, the new restaurant will look similar to recently remodeled McDonald's restaurants in and around the Hudson Valley area. Long gone is the whimsical architecture featuring a bright red peaked roof and yellow siding. The new McDonald's will be sleek and modern looking. Designs show lots of straight lines and a bright entrance that features a wall of glass.

Town of Poughkeepsie
Town of Poughkeepsie
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Where is the new McDonald's located?

Originally it was believed that an old TD Bank building on Route 9 in the Town of Poughkeepsie would be renovated to accommodate the new fast food restaurant. However, construction personnel on Tuesday said that the bank was not being touched during construction. Instead, the McDonald's will be constructed in the parking lot in front of Price Chopper on Route 9.

A. Boris
A. Boris
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The empty lot next to the empty bank will be ripped out and a new building will be erected on the site. It's unclear what will become of the current building, but workers indicated that it would be used as a "base of operations" during the construction process.

What about the Christmas trees?

The area currently under construction is the site of a seasonal Christmas tree lot. Just before Thanksgiving each year, the site comes to life with wooden stands signaling the beginning of the Christmas tree buying window.

A. Boris
A. Boris
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This area is now completely fenced in, so the tree farm will either need to find a different location in the Price Chopper lot or move its business elsewhere.

When will the new McDonald's open?

While no official time frame has been given for the construction project, the new building is expected to take some time to complete. It's unlikely that we'll be able to drive up and order an extra-value meal until early 2023.

A. Boris
A. Boris
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Currently, there is one light on Route 9 that allows entrance to the site of the future McDonald's from both the north and south lanes. Once the restaurant opens, traffic will surely increase in that area, but no changes to Route 9 or the entrance are expected to be made.

There is already a McDonald's on Route 9 in Wappingers Falls across from Home Depot and another one on Route 9 in Poughkeepsie near Marist College. This would fill the gap between the two.

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