For Immediate Release:
05/23/19
Contact:
Steven Gosset
| Steven.Gosset@nypa.gov
Media Relations | (914) 390-8192
CANAL BOARD APPROVES TWO PROJECTS TO MOVE ERIE, CHAMPLAIN CANALWAY TRAILS CLOSER TO COMPLETION
Projects Awarded in Herkimer, Washington Counties as Part of Governor’s Empire State Trail
WHITE PLAINS—The New York State Canal Corporation Board of Directors has approved funding for construction projects that will move the Erie and Champlain canal trails closer to completion.
The projects are both part of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Empire State Trail initiative, which, at 750 miles, will be the nation’s largest state network of multi-use trails. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.
“These projects will enhance and expand the economic and recreational opportunities available on the Canal System,” said Brian U. Stratton, Canal Corporation director. “Whether you bike, hike, jog or just walk your dog, the completion of these projects will make those activities more enjoyable and allow people to experience the canal corridor in new and exciting ways.”
The Erie Canalway Trail project is a 2.2-mile segment in Little Falls, running from Erie Canal Lock E-18 to Route 167. It will be the final link in a 7.6-mile trail segment built in Herkimer County between Little Falls and Mohawk.
The $2.07 million project, which was awarded to Tioga Construction of Herkimer following a competitive bidding process, is expected to be completed in October 2020.
The board also approved a $2.4 million project on the Champlain Canal Trailway in Washington County. The 1.2-mile segment will link the terminus of the Glens Falls Feeder Connector Trail in Fort Edward to New Swamp Road in Kingsbury.
The low bidder was James H. Maloy Inc. of Loudonville. The project is expected to be completed in September 2020. It follows trail construction now underway to link New Swamp Road with Champlain Canal Lock C-9 and an already-existing stretch of trail north of Baldwin Corners Road in Fort Ann.
The trail projects complement the Reimagine the Canals initiative announced last week by Governor Cuomo, the goals of which include identifying new sources of recreation and tourism on the canal corridor.
About the New York State Canal Corporation
New York’s canal system includes four historic canals: the Erie, Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga-Seneca. Spanning 524 miles, the waterway links the Hudson River with the Great Lakes, the Finger Lakes and Lake Champlain. The canals form the backbone of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and connect hundreds of unique and historic communities. In 2019, New York will mark the 200th anniversary of the first trip taken on the Erie Canal, from Rome to Utica.
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