May 5, 2004

"Span Group's Hopes are High"

by Michael Valkys

reprinted from the Poughkeepsie Journal

It towers 212 feet above the Hudson River, a rusting reminder of another age, or perhaps, a harbinger of what is yet to come.

The old Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge has sat idle for 30 years. Some say it's an eyesore that may best serve the region by being removed from its familiar spot altogether.
Others say they see a new recreational future for the bridge that in many ways represents the industrial age. Community leaders who are trying to open the span to pedestrians and cyclists hope at least part of the structure can open sooner rather than later.

''We're hoping to put together cost figures and how we are going to raise money,'' said Fred Schaeffer, a local attorney and new board chairman of Walkway Over the Hudson. The nonprofit group has worked for about a decade to open the bridge, damaged by fire in 1974, to the public.
How much that will cost, and for some, whether it can be done at all, remains to be seen. Schaeffer and other board members recently took the helm of the Walkway group after longtime head William Sepe resigned.
The cost of repairs has been estimated anywhere from $2 million to $10 million. Sepe came up with the $2 million estimate. Walkway's new leaders admit their estimate of $5 million to $10 million may not be precise. They have engineers on their board and have looked to other projects around the country to come up with those figures. They also hope to hire professional engineers to come up with harder figures.

Schaeffer said the group is looking at a similar bridge project in Chattanooga, Tenn., for guidance.
The group has its work cut out for it.
Schaeffer said Walkway has about $3,000 on hand but hopes to raise more money through grants, private contributions and a ''major fund-raising drive.''
Sepe hoped to reopen the bridge by using volunteers rather than taxpayer money, a position the new Walkway leadership has abandoned.
''We're very much at the beginning,'' said David Santner, a Clintondale resident and treasurer of the Walkway group. ''We're in the midst of exploring different kinds of grants.''

Elevator being considered
Walkway leaders say getting the entire bridge repaired and open to the public will likely take years. But they hope to at least get things started, and drum up public interest in the process, by opening a portion of the bridge's Ulster County side and perhaps installing an elevator on the Poughkeepsie side to lift visitors above the Hudson River for some spectacular views.
''That seemed to us a way to get a lot of excitement,'' Santner said. ''Once you actually get people out there, it's much easier to raise money. You get people more excited.''
Two City of Poughkeepsie residents said they would use a refurbished railroad bridge and that the structure is badly in need of a makeover.
''It looks and old and rusty,'' Wanda Streit said. A spruced-up bridge would be a benefit to the area, she said.
''I would take a walk across,'' Streit said. ''That would be nice.''
Another resident agreed a fix-up is necessary.
''I would definitely use it,'' Amanda Fairclough said.

Santner cautioned the entire project could take time.
''The bridge isn't going to get done in one big shot,'' he said, adding Walkway will likely try to get the work done in phases.
Schaeffer said he envisions a two-phase project to get things started, with work progressing from the Ulster and Dutchess county sides of the span simultaneously.
''It could be a competition to see which side is going to get done first,'' Schaeffer said. ''It would be kind of neat to meet in the middle.''
The bridge was used by trains for more than eight decades before a fire in 1974 severely damaged it. The span, which connects the City of Poughkeepsie and Highland, has been closed ever since.
Walkway leaders said the bridge is structurally sound, although it has been many years since the bridge was evaluated by engineers.
Schaeffer said the Walkway board includes an engineer, but the group has no specific expertise on bridges.
Santner said the group will look to hire professional engineers to evaluate the span. Walkway's new leadership means a ''fresh start'' in the effort to open the span to the public, he said.
''We are building on what was there before,'' Santner said. ''But we have a new attitude.''

Schaeffer said Walkway officials are working on creating a new Web site about the group. Walkway also has new offices in the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center on Vassar Street in the City of Poughkeepsie.

Possible Greenway link
Walkway leaders say an open railroad bridge could also tie in nicely with the state's Greenway program, which is trying to increase access to the Hudson throughout the region.
Jeffrey Anzevino, senior regional planner for the Poughkeepsie-based environmental group Scenic Hudson, said opening the span would be a great way to link communities and Greenway trails around the region.
''Opening the railroad bridge would be a tremendous boon to the area,'' Anzevino said. ''People would come from far and wide to walk that bridge because the view is so stunning.''
He said opening the bridge could lead to using it for running and bike races, recreation and more.
''The possibilities are endless,'' Anzevino said.

WHERE TO CALL
Walkway Over the Hudson has offices at the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center on Vassar Street in the City of Poughkeepsie. For information, call 845-454-9649.
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