The Albany Skyway is no pipe dream! The funding for the project has recently been announced, a timeline has been estimated, and we can all expect this incredible project to come to fruition in the fairly near future.
The state has awarded $3.1 million in funding for the Albany Skyway, which is in addition to a $375,000 grant that Capitalize Albany Corporation received in December of 2016.
This Skyway will be a half-mile long linear park for pedestrians and cyclists to enjoy and make use of; it’s also going to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Skyway will be located where the little-used Clinton Avenue ramp off I-787 and Quay Street is.
The New York State Department of Transportation is administering the funding and carrying out the first stages of planning and design. Construction is expected to start in the fall of 2019 and be complete by late 2020.
Thanks to the Skyway, pedestrians and cyclists will have better access to the Corning Riverfront Park. The City has been working towards making Albany more easily accessible for pedestrians and cyclists, such as with the improvements made to the Corning Preserve in 2016, so this project falls right in line with those efforts. The Skyway will connect Arbor Hill, Sheridan Hollow, and the Warehouse District to the Corning Riverfront Park and the Hudson River.
“Elevated parks attract walkers, runners, and cyclists, while boosting tourism in surrounding communities, and with the addition of this new attraction, we can look forward to welcoming everyone to the Capital Region to experience the Skyway for years to come,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
