The second large barge reaches Albion and will head to Buffalo in the morning

By Tom Rivers, Editor Published on July 18, 2024 at 10:26 p.m.

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A 195-foot-long barge arrived in Albion, passing under the Ingersoll Street Lift Bridge around 7:40 p.m.

The barge is carrying two sections of a pedestrian bridge toward Buffalo. The tug CMT Otter pushed the barge from Rochester to Albion today. The barge and tug are staying in Albion overnight and will head east around 6 a.m. Friday.

Carver Companies, a company based near Albany, expects the barge to reach its final destination in Buffalo on Saturday. The first barge carrying two more sections of the bridge crossed into Orleans County on Monday. On Tuesday, it reached Buffalo at Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy.

The barge heads west on the canal in this photo taken from the Brown Street Canal Bridge.

The two sections of the barge are now larger and heavier than the first two. The barge therefore sat lower in the water, sometimes scraping the bottom during the voyage.

Carver Companies said on its Facebook page that the barge must have a 9-foot draft to pass under 15-foot, 6-inch bridges.

The two sections of the barge’s pedestrian bridge are now 2 feet higher than the sections on the first barge, so Carver placed the barge deeper in the water to pass under the bridges.

The canal is listed as being 12 feet deep, but Carver Companies said it was less than that in some spots. “This resulted in slower than expected speeds today,” Carver said on social media.

Here are some more photos of the barge and tug arriving in Albion this evening.

The barge emerges from under the Brown Street Bridge.

The barge carries a long chant inviting people to “Follow me to Buffalo.” The trip began about two weeks ago in Albany and has attracted media attention and many spectators.

A 1,200-horsepower tugboat moves the long, heavy barge.

Many people took photos and videos of the barge entering Albion and mooring for the night between the lift bridges.