Trail of the Month: New York's Walkway Over the Hudson

by: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has chosen New York’s Walkway Over the Hudson for its January 2010 Trail of the Month. Built in 1888, the 1.25-mile Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge launched out across the Hudson River in New York. Considered a technological wonder, the mammoth structure towered 212 feet above the water and became the longest railroad bridge in the world. It connected downtown Poughkeepsie on the east bank and Lloyd on the west, providing an important link for trains carrying Pennsylvania coal to factories in New England. At its peak, the route serviced 3,500 train cars a day.

After a fire severely damaged the tracks in 1974, though, nearby communities debated whether to tear down the railroad relic. The bridge sat idle for nearly 20 years before local advocate Bill Sepe began promoting the idea of restoring the landmark as a pedestrian walkway.

Learn all about the trail’s history at the link below.

Resource: http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

article courtesy of Smart Growth