ADK Rail Trail Construction Officially Begins
After a decade-long process, construction of the first section of the 34-mile Adirondack Rail Trail has officially begun.
Guest blog by Phil Brown
Many people are pleased that construction of the Adirondack Rail Trail has finally started, but perhaps no one is more thrilled than Brian Woods, the new executive director of the Adirondack Rail Trail Association.
ARTA formed a dozen years ago to push for the rail trail when it might have seemed like pie in the sky. Woods credits ARTA and other advocates with convincing state officials to support the removal of train tracks to create a 34-mile trail between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake for biking, hiking, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.
“This was a case study in grass-roots organization,” Woods told BikeADK after the ceremonial groundbreaking. “Twelve years of perseverance got us to where we are.”
The non-profit organization now plans to work with state and local officials as well as the region’s businesses to ensure that the rail trail is a success. “I’m looking for ARTA to play a leadership role in establishment of the trail and its growth,” Woods said.
On November 2, Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos and other state officials gathered in Saranac Lake with golden shovels to announce that Kubricky Construction Corporation of Saratoga County was awarded a $7.9 million contract to construct the first phase of the rail trail--the 9-mile section from Lake Placid to the Saranac Lake depot.
“The Adirondack Rail Trail will be a premier destination to connect New Yorkers to nature and attract more residents and visitors to the many recreational opportunities in this region,” Seggos said in a news release. “The start of construction is an exciting milestone in the rail-trail implementation, and we look forward to the ongoing state, federal, Indigenous Nation, and local partnerships that will make this project a reality.”
Kubricky will work until December 19 this year and resume in the spring. The nine-mile section of rail corridor will be closed when construction is going on, but it will be open for recreation during the winter. The other sections of the corridor will remain open for recreation.
The first phase of construction--which also includes a parking lot in Tupper Lake--is expected to be finished next fall. The construction of the rail trail west of Saranac Lake will occur in two more phases, starting next fall and ending in 2025. Work on amenities such as the installation of educational signs, benches, and toilet facilities may continue beyond 2025.
This week’s announcement came just a few weeks after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved a wetlands permit for the project. The Adirondack Park Agency had issued a similar permit in August. The APA permit noted that the project will disturb only a tenth of an acre of wetlands over 34 miles. To compensate, DEC plans to create about 0.8 acres of new wetlands.
The state Department of Transportation oversaw the removal of the tracks last year. Since then, many bikers have been riding on the old rail bed, but it varies in quality. In certain sections, large gravel makes riding difficult. Most of the finished rail trail will be surfaced with packed stone dust (and suitable for most road bikes). However, the trail will be paved in the village of Saranac Lake.
Advocates say the finished rail trail could draw 250,000 visitors a year. Woods said that is not an unreasonable prediction, given the popularity of bike trails elsewhere. The Erie Canalway Trail, for example, had 3.1 million visits in 2021, according to the non-profit Parks & Trails New York. In the same year, the 62-mile Champlain Canalway Trail had about 215,000 visits.
Woods believes the Adirondack Rail Trail will become a tourist destination. “ARTA really wants to work with towns and work with businesses to make sure the trail is properly promoted,” Woods said. “We want to bring visitors here to use the trail.”
He said ARTA is discussing selling Adirondack Rail Trail patches as mementos to bikers who ride the entire 34-mile route.
Down the road, Woods said, ARTA may want to collaborate with other rail trails in the North Country for cross-promotion. Lewis County, for example, is considering creating 37 miles of rail trail just outside the Adirondack Park. For now, though, Woods is focused on one thing: the Adirondack Rail Trail.
ARTA will be looking for volunteers to help maintain the trail. Anyone who wants to help out or anyone who has suggestions to benefit the trail can email Woods at brianw@adirondackrailtrail.org.
For more thoughts from BikeADK about the future rail trail and what it will do for the region, check out this episode of the 46 for 46 podcast.
