A long-anticipated piece of infrastructure was installed Thursday at Watkins Glen State Park, marking a major step in the replacement of one of the Finger Lakes’ most recognizable landmarks.
Crews lowered a new steel span into place to replace the historic Sentry Bridge, which had stood for more than a century at the park’s main entrance to the gorge trail.
The bridge project is being handled on-site by Twin Tier Constructors of Scottsville, with fabrication completed by LMC Industrial Contractors in Dansville — highlighting a largely regional effort behind the upgrade.
Once complete, the new span will restore primary access to the park’s popular gorge trail from the main entrance, a key feature for the more than two million visitors who pass through the park each year.
Construction is expected to be finished in early July, when the main gorge trail entrance is slated to reopen.
In the meantime, the gorge trail remains closed as seasonal maintenance continues. Members of the New York State Parks Rope Access Team are conducting scaling work along the shale walls, rappelling to inspect and stabilize areas throughout the gorge.
Park officials said visitors can still access portions of the gorge trail by entering through rim trails, which remain open during the ongoing work.
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