The bridge to Buffalo is in the hands of Carver Enterprises

BBC CharterThe multipurpose vessel Aralia was loaded with four bridge sections in Italy. It passed through New York Harbor on June 22 before sailing up the Hudson River to the Coeymans port.

Carver Enterprises Carver Companies then took possession of the bridge and unloaded the sections onto two barges. The bridge, which will serve as an entrance to Buffalo’s Ralph Wilson Park, will span the entire length of the Erie Canal and is scheduled for delivery July 15. Carver Companies’ towing division will manage the journey along the Erie Canal.

Barge transport across the entire canal has become a rare operation and the journey requires navigating 34 locks. A crew of four will perform a tandem tow; a tug will tow a pair of hopper barges for most of the 370-nautical-mile journey.

Ralph Wilson Park is a 100-acre waterfront park in Buffalo that has undergone a major renovation. “This project is a massive undertaking, using a key piece of American history to transport a modern marvel. It is a testament to both innovation and tradition,” said Carver LarawayPresident and CEO of Carver Companies and the Port of Coeymans.

Once assembled and installed, the bridge will cross I-190 and the CSX freight rail line, connecting the city’s Lower West Side to the park, with the first sections expected to open to the public in 2026.