Canal opens for 194th season with no tolls for recreational boaters

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 15 May 2018 at 9:40 am

Photo by Tom Rivers: It was quiet while it was raining this morning on the Erie Canal in Albion, where these vessels are tied up near the Ingersoll Street lift bridge.

The Erie Canal opens at 10 a.m. today for its 194th season.

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.

The Canal Corp. also waived the tolls last year. Those tolls are normally $25 to $100 for a season pass, depending on the size of the vessel.

This year 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.

Update: The Erie Canal section in Orleans County doesn’t open until May 18.

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