Boats return for another season on Erie Canal
Photo by Tom Rivers: A boat passes by the Ingersoll Street lift bridge on Friday afternoon in Albion. Friday was opening day for the western end of the canal, including the section in Orleans County.
The Canal Corporation is waiving tolls again this year for recreational vessels as the state continues to commemorate 200 years of Erie Canal history. The Erie Canal was under construction from 1817 to 1825. This year is the canal’s 194th season.
2018 also marks the 100th anniversary of the Barge Canal, when the expansion of the Erie Canal was complete in 1918.
The standard hours of operation for the 2018 season are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The lift bridges in Orleans County have extended hours until 10 p.m. from May 18 to Sept. 12.
The canal’s navigation season continues until Oct. 10.
