Ralph Wilson Park is a 100+-acre waterfront park on the shoreline of Lake Erie in downtown Buffalo. Rooted in a multi-year community visioning process, the park is undergoing a transformation to become one of the most beautiful and inclusive public spaces in the country, serving nearby residents and visitors from across the region and beyond.
Keep an eye on our Flickr page for more updated photos & video! Check out the bridge’s journey to Buffalo and the progress happening at the park!
During its Erie Canal journey, these were some of the best places to view the bridgeas it traveled from Albany to Buffalo on the Erie Canal! Thousands of New Yorkers came out to see it! Here’s the map of the bridge travel from Italy to Buffalo.
We had our first fundraiser on July 16th – 716 Day – where people were able to see the transformed shoreline AND Buffalo’s newest signature bridge! Check out the pictures here.
Construction watch: We provide updates on the construction progress each month. Learn more about the construction here and sign up to receive these monthly updates straight to your inbox!
THANK YOU to the more than 700+ community members who attended our summer kick-off party on Sunday, June 30th!
We were beyond thrilled with the turn out and the ENERGY! Check out our photos to see the fun for yourself!
THANK YOU to our partners – you all helped make our first summer event at Ralph Wilson Park so special! West Side Community Services, AKG Art Truck, Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, West Side Rowing Club, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, the Tool Library, Grassroots Gardens, Buffalo Fire Department, Squiggly Art, Buffalo Foam Parties, Bonny the incredible hot dog chef, Chilly Billy’s Ice Cream, Milton CAT in Tonawanda.
And thank you to our sponsors – we could not have done this without you! Councilmember David Rivera, Councilmember Mitch Nowakowski, Wegmans, Sahlens, Mineo & Sapio.
We had so much fun that we decided on-site we would have an end of summer bash! Stay tuned for details.
Do you run a local community group or summer camp that is planning to visit the splash pad this summer? Let us know by emailing info@RWParkBuffalo.org! We’d love to be there with some special activities and treats.
Something BIG is on its way to Ralph Wilson Park!
It started in 2018 when the community driven design project, Imagine LaSalle, identified that the community’s #1 priority is better, safer access to Ralph Wilson Park. In 2020, a community-based design competition resulted in the selection of schlaich bergman partners (sbp), known for its creative, stylish, sustainable design of long-span bridges and towers throughout the world. Learn more about overall park updates and sign up to receive our construction watch emails here.
Today, our Ralph Wilson Park Bridge is loaded on barges at the Port of Coeyman’s outside of Albany waiting to make its final journey to Ralph Wilson Park down the Erie Canal! This video shows its dramatic arrival to the Port of New York on June 22nd.
The transport of our bridge through the Erie Canal offers an opportunity to reflect on the significance of the Empire State’s contribution to the fledgling nation’s migration westward and marvel at the sheer scale and engineering behind this important project. The four sections weigh in at a massive 220 tons. The transport and placement of this bridge is an engineering marvel.
Check out the pictures of Carver Companies loading the 4 sections of Ralph Wilson Park Bridge onto two barges at Port of Coeyman’s.
In the picture below you’ll see where the barges will dock and the sections of Ralph Wilson Park Bridge will be offloaded. Moving west across the site you can see the final location of the bridge where it is to be placed later this fall.
Crews have hauled in and placed over 9,000 tons of stone constructing a 4’ deep area engineered to receive the four sections of the bridge. The 4 sections of Ralph Wilson Park Bridge will be lifted off the barges by a massive boom crane for assembly.
Beginning next week, 32 trailer loads containing assembly materials (nuts and bolts) will begin to arrive. It will take about 6 weeks for our bridge to be welded together and painted before being transported in one 260’ piece across the park.
The picture below is looking west from 4th street across the I-190 depicting the span between the pedestrian bridge’s two abutments. The plan is to set the bridge on the two abutments in the fall.
Check out a sneak peak of our June 2024 RWP Construction Recap in this video. You’ll see the precast gravix wall on the south abutment being placed which when backfilled will shape the 30’ tall sled hill. Also depicted in the video are crews putting in the sheet pile wall behind the amphitheater and major progress at the inlet!
Follow @RalphWilsonParkBridge on its journey down the Erie Canal beginning July 5th. And, mark your calendar for July 16th (716 day!) to watch the historic arrival of our bridge to the shore of Ralph Wilson Park! And, join us at our first fundraiser aboard Miss Buffalo II on July 16th from 6-8pm for a once-in-a-lifetime view from the water of Ralph Wilson Park Bridge and an up close look at our shoreline transformation! Get your tickets here!
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Construction Timeline
Construction begins!
Gilbane Building Company was selected as Construction Manager for the park in June 2022, and the official groundbreaking was held in July 2022. The core park was closed in July 2023 and the park is currently under active construction.
Increasing access to greenspace and waterfront
Construction continues on the main park, including the signature pedestrian bridge and the Great Lawn. The Great Lawn will be a location for respite and events. It will transition to a sledding hill during the winter month to ensure year-round activation.
Creating dramatic spaces
The Grove features the Edith Wilson and Linda Bogdan Gardens. It creates an eye-popping entrance as park-goers walk into the park across the pedestrian bridge.
Ensuring shoreline resiliency
Initial construction will also include the inlet, a park element which combines shoreline resiliency with ecological uplift.
Enriching the wildlife habitat
Throughout the construction, thousands of new trees and native plants will be added, as well as additional landscaping improvements.
Future construction
Future construction will include the destination play garden, blueway site to increase safe water access, expanded bike and pedestrian trails, additional sports fields/courts, and more.