After years of diligent effort, the opening of the Neversink Crossing on the O&W Rail Trail was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 17 attended by State, County and local officials and outdoor enthusiasts. The bridge, between South Fallsburg and Woodridge, is a collaborative project among Sullivan County, the Town of Fallsburg and the O&W Rail Trail Alliance, and connects 13 miles of trail between Mountaindale and Ferndale.

Sullivan County Legislative Chair Nadia Rajsz noted that the O&W railroad was, for 80 years, the “superhighway” to the Catskills, adding, “It is amazing to realize this spot will now serve a similar purpose to draw people for perhaps much, much longer than the next eight decades.”

“The project is a tremendous example of how investing in the preservation of our past can also create opportunities for future generations,” said Assemblywoman Paula Kay.

The $3.4 million project was funded with $1.3 million in federal grants, $1.2 million in state grants and a $40,000 private contribution. Sullivan County contributed $500,000 in local matching funds and the Town of Fallsburg provided “in-kind” services.

The bridge is 12 feet wide and 180 feet long, and utilizes the original stone abutments installed in the late 1800s, when the railroad was constructed. A boardwalk above the floodplain adds another 50 feet to the western approach, and from there approximately a mile of the old railroad bed has been improved for pedestrian and bicyclist access leading to the southern portal of the old Fallsburg tunnel.

Although the tunnel is closed due to unsafe conditions, trail users can peer inside into the darkened remains and then continue along the bypass route.