BREWSTER – A 115-year-old span over the East Branch of the Croton River in Putnam County has been rehabilitated and is now ready for public use.
Federal, state and local officials worked in tandem for structural replacement, lead paint removal and crack repair in conjunction with union laborers.
Hudson Valley Congressman Michael Lawler (R, NY-17) helped to secure $3.75 million in Federal Transit Administration funding for the bridge project. State and county funding, including $50,000 in funding initially secured by then-Assemblyman Kevin Byrne and repurposed by Assemblyman Matt Slater (R, Yorktown), covered the remaining portion of the project expenses.
The Maybrook Trailway is an off-road, paved, nine-mile stretch of the Empire State Trail extending from Brewster to Pawling. With the bridge completed, people can travel on the trail continuously from the New York-Connecticut state line, through Putnam County into Dutchess County and across the Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie.
Slater called it “great to see the bridge open, connecting the Maybrook Trailway to neighboring towns and giving residents and visitors new access to the trail system.”
Executive Byrne described the project as a “major undertaking for Putnam County, knitting together our recreational trails and connecting residents and visitors alike with the Empire State Trail’s major arterial.”
Lawler called the bridge’s opening as a “big win for Putnam County and for everyone who enjoys our trails. This project strengthens the Empire State Trail, improves safety for cyclists and pedestrians, and connects more of our communities to the outdoors.”
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