Rail Trail Phase 2 Construction to Begin Early
While not slated to begin until this fall, construction on Phase 2 of the Adirondack Rail Trail will begin months ahead of schedule.
Guest blog by Phil Brown
Construction of Phase 2 of the Adirondack Rail Trail will begin in mid June, temporarily closing the 15-mile stretch between Saranac Lake and Floodwood Road in Lake Clear.
Originally not slated to begin until Phase 1 - which runs between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake - was finished, Phase 2 and Phase 1 will now be under construction simultaneously.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation announced on May 31 that Rifenburg Construction has been awarded an $8.75 million contract for the Phase 2 project.
Kubricky Construction began work earlier this spring on the 10-mile Phase 1 section between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. That section also is temporarily closed to the public, though people have been walking and biking on it. In a news release, DEC again urged people to stay off the sections of trail under construction, saying scofflaws “are creating unsafe situations in work zones.”
Kubricky is expected to finish its work this fall, at which time the first section of trail will reopen to the public.
With Phase 1 and 2 now under construction, the only part of the trail open for recreation is the nine-mile stretch between Floodwood Road and Tupper Lake.
When complete, the Adirondack Rail Trail will extend 34 miles from Lake Placid to Tupper Lake. Most of the trail will be surfaced with packed stone dust, which should be suitable for most bikes. The trail will be paved only in the village of Saranac Lake.
“It is exciting to see the Adirondack Rail Trail construction continue a transformation that will attract visitors from near and far year-round,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in a news release. “Work-site safety is always a priority so DEC is reminding visitors and neighbors to avoid use in all closed portions of the trail so workers and the public can stay safe and the project continues to advance.”
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