Brockport hosting meeting May 25 on new canal pedestrian bridge

Courtesy of Governor's Office: This rendering of a new pedestrian bridge over the Erie Canal in Brockport, a span that will connect the Brockport State College campus to the Empire State Trail.

BROCKPORT – The public is welcome to attend a community meeting on 7 p.m. May 25 to get an update on a new pedestrian bridge in Brockport over the Erie Canal.

The meeting will be at the Village of Brockport Courthouse, 49 State St., and will include representatives from the New York Power Authority, NYS Canal Corporation, Village of Brockport and SUNY Brockport.

The officials will discuss the project timeline, present design renderings, and answers questions from the community.

The new bridge will be constructed adjacent to an existing Erie Canal guard gate. The new pedestrian bridge will connect the SUNY Brockport campus to the Empire State Trail. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2023, according to the Canal Corporation.

The bridge was originally announced as a project for Brockport in January 2020 during former Gov. Cuomo’s State of the State address. It is the first large-scale infrastructure project to begin under the state’s Reimagine the Canals initiative.

Funding for the project will come from NYPA and a $2 million grant by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, which will be administered by the Rochester Area Community Foundation.