Walkway Over the Hudson

Bridging the Hudson, by Carleton Mabee (excerpt): "The Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge was the first bridge to be built over the Hudson River from the ocean all the way up to Albany. It was a technological wonder. Opened in 1889 soon after the Brooklyn Bridge opened, it is not only higher above the water than the Brooklyn Bridge, and founded deeper in the water, but also longer. When it opened, its promoters claimed it was the longest bridge in the world."

Walkway Over the Hudson, the legacy project of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial celebration in 2009, remains on schedule for completion in September 2009.

Fred Schaeffer, chairman of development, speaks highly of the expectations of the project. “We think people will come from all over," Schaeffer said on a recent day as he watched construction.  "It's the equivalent of the Eiffel Tower, or the Golden Gate Bridge."

Walkers, bicyclists and runners will get  sweeping panoramic views of the Hudson River Valley that includes Franklin Delano Roosevelt's home, Springwood, to the north.  It is said that visitors will have the sensation of "walking on air".

Recently, Schaeffer gave a detailed recount of the great headway being made in the construction of the walkway. The Fort Miller Company of Schuylerville, New York completed production of all 151 concrete panels needed for the west approach portion of the bridge. Identical panels for the east approach to the bridge are also being built and stockpiled for installation in the spring of 2009. These panels are custom manufactured to match the exact distance between the floor beams on the bridge. Harrison and Burrowes, of Glenmont, New York, is the contractor handling work at the site. Their personnel have successfully completed the installation of all 151 panels on the Ulster County side of the walkway, representing approximately 1,000 feet in length. They'll move on shortly to install panels on the main portion of the bridge, working as far into December as weather will allow.

The 110-foot crane used to place the panels can now be seen from the eastern, Dutchess County, side of the walkway.  The orange temporary railings are now being replaced with permanent rails. This work is being done earlier than scheduled and will provide an improvement to safety of moving construction materials and people out to the work location over the river.

The Walkway Over the Hudson has recently gotten some additional press coverage through a television show that features the project.  The host of DIY Network's "Project Xtreme," Matt Blashaw, came with his camera crew to film an episode of the show that airs in 2009.  The program takes viewers behind the scenes of gigantic and sometimes dangerous projects and introduces them to the professionals behind the behemoth.

 "We want our viewers to experience what an extreme project is all about," said Ross Babbit, director of programming at DIY Network.  "The Walkway project certainly is extreme!"

Finally, if you are looking for the perfect holiday gift for the history buff in your life, consider giving a piece of history! For just $10 (plus s& h), you can purchase a genuine railroad spike pulled directly from the old bed of the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge!  For an additional $25 you can include a copy of Pulitzer Prize winner Carleton Mabee's book, Bridging the Hudson: The Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge and It's Connecting Lines.  And for $50 you or your loved one can own an original 1880s rail post.  For information, or to order, call 845-454-9649. For all construction updates, new photos of the headway begin made and much more visit www.Walkway.org!