New pedestrian bridge to Buffalo via Erie Canal

Probably not by a mule named Sal

COEYMANS — An 81-metre-long pedestrian bridge is en route to Buffalo via the Erie Canal, after crossing from Italy on two 59-metre-long barges.

It is the new Ralph Wilson Park Bridge that will cross Interstate 190. This bridge left Italy after being manufactured by a company called Cimolai, which has a new facility in Olean.

Once installed, the bridge will connect Buffalo’s Lower West Side to the newly renovated park.

Josh Kowalski, vice president of sales and business development at the Port of Coeymans, said this is the most cost-effective way to transport the infrastructure.

“You’d have to truck it in pieces,” he said. “Whether it’s the width, whether it’s the height, we have a lot of 14-foot overpasses. You have bridges that you want to protect on the road. So you can do that, but in order to do that you have to shut down traffic. You have to have specific times that you’re allowed to drive. So the cost would be prohibitive.”

The crew uses a tug and barge system to get the bridge over 34 locks. Tight turns require a tricky maneuver with one tug, while the rest of the journey requires a tandem tow of four, all the while navigating passage hazards and shallow water depths.

“It’s a great feature of New York State,” Kowalski said. “It’s historic. It’s something we want to use more and more. We’re just looking for reasons.”

The bridge is expected to arrive in Buffalo on Tuesday, July 16 or earlier.