New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian Stratton joined Brockport Mayor Margay Blackman, SUNY Brockport President Heidi Macpherson, and other officials on Wednesday, August 14, in a “steel signing” ceremony to highlight the construction progress of the Brockport Pedestrian Bridge over the Erie Canal.
The Brockport Pedestrian Bridge over the Erie Canal will connect the SUNY Brockport campus to the Empire State Trail and the Village of Brockport. The project was initially announced in 2020 and construction began in 2023. When completed in 2025, the bridge will complement the Village of Brockport’s installation of a kayak dock and plans for a nearby boathouse. The bridge may also serve as a viewing platform for anticipated rowing competitions on the canal.
“We are so thrilled to get to call it our home,” said SUNY Brockport President Heidi Macpherson. “It is such an important part of our university’s identity, and we are eager to embrace opportunities that strengthen both the canal and our relationship to it. Even though the canal has been open for 199 years, we are still yet to unlock its full potential and to maximize the impact it can have on our campus and the Village of Brockport. Today we are taking a significant step towards that reality.”
With its gentle elevation change, the pedestrian bridge will be fully accessible and will integrate sustainable features such as native species planting, stormwater rain gardens, LED light fixtures, and compliance to Dark Sky principles. In addition, the bridge’s major structural elements utilize locally fabricated steel, sustainable wood decking, and a low VOC durable paint.
New York Power Authority is funding the new bridge in part through a $2 million grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, which is being administered by the Rochester Area Community Foundation. The opening of the pedestrian bridge next year will coincide with the Bicentennial of the opening of the original Erie Canal in 1825.
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