BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Erie Canal is expecting a big shipment across the state beginning in Albany on July 5, and ending in Buffalo on July 16.
Four sections of the new Ralph Wilson Pedestrian Bridge will begin their journey along the Erie Canal on Friday.
"We're incredibly excited for the Ralph Wilson Park bridge to make its way down the Erie Canal," said Katie Campos, Executive Director of the Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy.
Built in Italy and shipped across the Atlantic, the four sections of will total 266ft in length once they're assembled.
When it's installed, the bridge will connect 4th St. to the waterfront.
"The first thing we heard from the community is better, safer access to Ralph Wilson Park, and that's why this bridge is coming," Campos said.
While the Erie Canal has mostly been reserved for recreational maritime activities in recent decades, New York State Canal Corporation officials believe the shipping of the bridge sections are a testament to legacy of the waterway.
"It's unique, it's special," said Shane Mahar, a spokesperson for the NYS Canal Corporation. "It proves that on the eve of the Erie Canal's Bicentennial, it is still capable of moving cargo and doing big things for New York State."
One American pastime is the public watching a big thing get moved. Whether it be Howard Hughes' infamous "Spruce Goose" H-4 aircraft, or more recently the retired Space Shuttles, the public always wants to see something big move.
The Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy expects a lot of people will want to see the the 50+ foot bridge sections meander through the locks as it makes its way from Albany--which is why the organization created an Instagram account for the bridge project.
"Every day, we are posting at Ralph Wilson Park bridge on Instagram the location of the bridge and the date, the times and locations that it will be on the Erie Canal," Campos said.
Ralph Wilson Park plans to host a celebration on July 16, often referred to as 716 Day, when the bridge sections arrive on the shores of the $110M park.
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