With golden crowbars flashing in the sun, state and federal officials and local dignitaries made a statement this week – Walkway Over the Hudson is officially on track.
The project, which will transform the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge into the world’s longest elevated walkway and bike path, has appeared in this space frequently, and for good reason. Project backers hope that the renovated walkway, which is expected to be completed in time for the area’s quadricentennial celebration next year, will become a symbol for tourism in the area and an attraction that will draw visitors from all over the world. In a May 27 ceremony, dignitaries dug up 19th-century railroad spikes with the aforementioned golden crowbars, setting the stage for renovation work on the bridge that began earlier this week. They also honored a $1 million donation from Scenic Hudson, the latest in a line of donations and allocations that are helping the project reach its goal.
The bridge’s potential is by now well-known – “We expect it to be world-famous,” said Walkway Over the Hudson chairman Fred Schaeffer at the ceremony this week – and with the swell of support it has received over the last several months, it’s clear that this project could quickly become one of the biggest attractions in the area. In light of the activities planned for next year, the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s journey into the valley that bears his name, the opening of the Walkway could tie into one of our biggest tourist-driven summers ever. In addition to the quadricentennial ceremonies that will dot the landscape, the Empire State Games will also return to the area, bringing some of the state’s finest athletes and thousands of spectators to Dutchess and surrounding counties.
The anticipated opening of the walkway in August 2009 would be a fitting capstone for a season of intense interest in the Hudson Valley, and we hope that momentum can carry over into our smaller communities, sparking progress and long-awaited changes. By combining responsible decision-making with some of general fervor that the events of next year are expected to induce, local leaders would be well-served to prepare their municipalities for a banner year.
Still, some questions remain. Completing the massive renovation project on the bridge – beginning with the removal of deck panels this week – by the end of next summer seems like an especially optimistic, albeit doable, goal, and the project will have to be kept rigidly on track. There also remains the promise of money committed from New York State in next year’s budget, and the questionable financial climate that may lead to calls for more fiscal prudence (and the chance of reduced funding by next spring). At this point, though, the project is going ahead full-steam, and pessimism is in short supply. We’ll be watching the former railroad span in earnest.