The Ralph Wilson Park Bridge will serve as the entrance to Ralph Wilson Park, a massive community-driven redevelopment project transforming a 100-plus-acre City of Buffalo waterfront park into a world-class recreational destination. But the bridge had to make quite a journey to reach its final destination.
In June, the Ralph Wilson Park Bridge departed from Italy in four large sections aboard 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. Carver Companies, which owns and operates the maritime terminal south of Albany, then took possession of the bridge and successfully offloaded the sections onto two 195-foot-long barges.
The bridge departed from Coeymans on July 5 traveling along the Erie Canal with Carver Companies’ marine towing division managing the delivery.
Tug-and-barge transport along the entirety of the canal, once commonplace, has become a rare undertaking. The complex journey requires traversing 34 locks, which serve as elevators for boats.
A four-person crew executed a “tandem tow” – one tug (CMT Otter) towing two hopper barges (CMT Kelly and CMT Hofmann) – for the majority of the 370-nautical-mile trip, switchng to single-tow maneuvers when necessary to navigate tight turns on the route.
The crew had to make numerous adjustments to the weight of both barges to compensate for 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.
People followed the bridge’s journery on social media and came out to see the spectacle, take photos, and cheer on the crew as they passed through the various canal communities.
The first barge arrived in Buffalo on July 16 (716 Day) to much fanfare. The tug then returned to Rochester to reconnect with the second barge, which was delivered to Buffalo on July 20.
Once assembled and installed, the 266-foot bridge will cross the I-190 highway and the CSX freight rail line, connecting the Lower West Side of Buffalo to the transformed park, which is scheduled to start opening in phases in 2026.
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