Lots to cheer about at Ralph Wilson Park!
In the wee hours of the night of October 5th into the mid-morning of October 6th, months of careful planning, analysis, and coordination culminated in the successful placement of the 263’ long, 220-ton pedestrian bridge superstructure on its abutments. Spanning the I-190 connecting the park to 4th Street and the Lower West Side, when completed this bridge will provide a welcoming, accessible and safe gateway into the park.
Simultaneously, the existing Hudson Street pedestrian bridge was taken down off its abutments. Throughout the community-led Imagine Lasalle visioning process, the existing Hudson Street pedestrian bridge (pictured below) was identified as an impediment to accessing the park.
Beginning at 9:00pm October 5th the I-190 was closed to traffic in both directions. At 10:00pm a horn was sounded informing all involved crew members that the last CSX train had passed, and it was safe to enter the work zone.
For the next twelve hours a diligent, carefully orchestrated work plan was set in motion as the superstructure travelled (pictured to the left) on two self-propelled mobile transporters (SPMT’s) across the railroad tracks and onto the roadbed. As dawn approached the superstructure had been placed onto the abutments and the existing bridges’ superstructure began being lowered to the ground. (pictured below).
A time lapse video of the night is accessible for viewing here. The bridge deck (pictured below) has been poured adding another 120 tons to the weight of the bridge superstructure. Handrails and lighting will follow.
Work continues on Shoreline at the South End of Park
One of the last remaining tasks at the inlet is pictured above. Crews are working from barges placing large pieces of flagstone on the lakebed at the mouth of the inlet to prevent wave induced erosion of subaqueous soils. The large vertical posts in the picture above are called spuds. These spuds are driven into the lakebed providing stability on what otherwise could be a very unstable working platform.
The picture above and to the left is from mid-October 2023 and to the right is a photograph from mid-October 2024. You can see how dramatically the shoreline has changed with the placement of armor stone designed to reduce wave energy and the construction of the inlet to provide habitat for native fish populations.
On such a large scale it is hard to convey the extent of the topography change taking place throughout the once essentially flat park. The picture above is of a concrete pump truck placing concrete on the new marine pathway adjacent to the seaplane ramp. To help illustrate the topography the elevation of the marine pathway is shown (580) and the top of the lawn adjacent (590) is called out.
This 10’ rise in elevation will provide a dramatic view shed looking west toward Lake Erie. Additionally, when planted with deep rooted native plantings, this newly placed soil mass will act as a barrier to the potential for wave driven erosion.
You can see the massive amount of soil being placed by viewing this assembly of videos captured throughout October here.
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Mark McGovern
Director of Park Operations
Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy
