July 3, 2018

Town Supervisor Joseph Grube has coordinated an agreement to allow an access path to be created and maintained by the New York State Canal Corporation at Gaines Basin Road in the Town of Gaines.

Many residents and visitors have expressed an interest in having easy access to the Erie Canalway Trail at Gaines Basin Road. This canal crossing is one of the only in Orleans County that does not have easy access, and creating a usable path to the Canalway Trail was a focus of the Supervisor and Town Board.

The Panek Family of Albion, who owns the farm land adjacent to the Erie Canal and Gaines Basin Road at this location, graciously allowed for the establishment of a access path suitable for walking and biking across their land. The Supervisor and Town Board are grateful for the cooperation of the Panek Family in granting this access without question, and without any cost incurred by the Town of Gaines.

The access path will begin being cleared and improved in the coming weeks. The Town of Gaines Highway Department will assist crews from the Canal Corporation as needed.

The Canal Corporation is announcing that work to improve the condition of elevated canal embankments in Orleans and Monroe Counties will begin Tuesday, June 19.  Crews will be working along areas of the embankment where trees and other vegetation were removed in recent months over the next few weeks.  Work will involve removal of felled trees and underbrush, temporary erosion control, and general cleanup.

Beginning in the fall of 2018, crews will return to these areas to begin removal of stumps, backfilling and compaction of material, regrading as necessary, and planting of permanent erosion control.

The last phase of work on these elevated embankments will begin in 2019, which will include planting of vegetative screening in certain locations, construction of new trail access points, and additional drainage and other improvements in certain locations.

The schedule for Canalway Trail closures necessary for this work will be subject to change based on progress, site conditions, weather, and other factors.  Work will be suspended on weekends and holidays in the interest of keeping all segments of the Canalway Trail open during these periods.  A tentative schedule for these closures appears below:

BROCKPORT:

TRAIL SECTION DATES CLOSED
State Street (Rt. 31) and Redman Road June 19-22
Park Ave. Bridge and Sweden Walker Road Bridge June 21-22; June 25-29
Redman Road (Route 31) and Brockport Guard Gate June 27-29
Smith Street Bridge and Main Street June 28-29
Brockport Guard Gate and Smith Street Bridge July 2-3

SPENCERPORT:

TRAIL SECTION DATES CLOSED
East of Washington St. and West of Trimmer Rd. June 19

Trail closure information will be updated daily at http://www.canals.ny.gov/trails/projects.html

Other work along the embankments in other areas not specified above will continue through the month of July, but will not require long-term closures of the Canalway Trail.  Updates on short-term (less than a day) trail closures in these areas will be provided at http://www.canals.ny.gov/trails/projects.html