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Buffalo bridge’s journey up Erie Canal starts in Port of Coeymans

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By Melanie Lekocevic

Capital Region Independent Media

The Ralph Wilson Park Bridge began the final leg of its journey from Italy to Buffalo at the Port of Coeymans early Friday morning. Contributed photo

COEYMANS — A pedestrian bridge that began its journey in Italy and traveled across the Atlantic saw its final preparations in Coeymans before heading to its ultimate destination in Buffalo.

The Ralph Wilson Park Bridge began the final leg of its global trip July 5, leaving the Port of Coeymans. The journey up the Erie Canal is being executed by Carver Companies.

Once installed at its final destination, the bridge will serve as the entrance to Ralph Wilson Park as part of a major redevelopment project.

Ralph Wilson Park is a 100-plus acre waterfront park in the city of Buffalo that has undergone substantial rehabilitation.

The span, known as the Ralph Wilson Park Bridge, left Italy last month in four large sections and was transported across the Atlantic Ocean on the commercial shipping vessel, Aralia. It crossed through New York Harbor on June 22 and traveled up the Hudson River to the Port of Coeymans.

The bridge was offloaded by Carver Companies from the commercial shipping vessel Aralia and moved to two barges that then traveled up the Erie Canal. Contributed photo

Carver Companies, which owns the port, offloaded the four sections of the bridge onto two 195-foot-long barges.

Around sunrise on Friday, the barges left the port to transport the pedestrian bridge up the Erie Canal and are expected to arrive in Buffalo on July 15. There, the 266-foot bridge will cross the I-190 highway for its final arrival at the park.

The bridge’s trip through the Erie Canal is being managed by the marine towing division of Carver Companies.

“Tug-and-barge transport along the entirety of the canal, once commonplace, has become a rare undertaking,” according to a statement from Carver Companies. “The complex journey requires traversing 34 locks, which serve as elevators for boats.”

A crew of four will conduct the “tandem tow” for most of the 370-nautical-mile trip.

The trip is a complex one, requiring the crew to navigate through numerous sharp turns and clearance hazards, “including several bridges with minimal overhead and portions of the canal with low average water depths.”

“This project is a significant undertaking, utilizing a vital piece of American history to transport a modern marvel. It’s a testament to both innovation and tradition,” said Carver Laraway, president and CEO of Carver Companies and the Port of Coeymans.“We’re proud — and our crew is ready — to play a key part in ensuring safe passage of the Ralph Wilson Park Bridge to Buffalo.”

A four-person crew from Carver Companies is executing the bridge’s journey up the Erie Canal. Contributed photo

Katie Campos, executive director of the Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy, called the project historic.

“The Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy is grateful for the dozens of partners who are stewarding the community’s transformative vision for the 100-plus-acre City of Buffalo waterfront park,” Campos said. “We appreciate the important role the Carver Companies team is playing to ensure the Ralph Wilson Park Bridge travels safely on the Erie Canal to the shores of Ralph Wilson Park. It’s a historic moment for all our partners and we’re excited for the bridge’s arrival.”

Construction of Ralph Wilson Park, designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, began in July 2023. The bridge will be installed over the I-190 highway in October 2024, and the first sections of the park are expected to open in 2026. 

One of the four bridge segments is moved at the Port of Coeymans. Contributed photo
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