Photo Credit: New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (WENY) -- This year, 2024, marks 100 years since the founding of the New York State Parks and Historic Sites Systems. To help celebrate, the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation determined it's about time to upgrade the Sentry Bridge at Watkins Glen State Park.

An announcement event was held on Thursday morning at the entrance of the park to discuss the project that will begin construction in the summer of 2025.

When guests come to Watkins Glen State Park, they are greeted with years of rich history and, most importantly, the sight of the Sentry Bridge. The current model of the bridge was constructed in 1908 and has faced many years of wear and tear. Now, officials are addressing unstable rock conditions noticed by daily inspectors nearly three years ago.

"In November of 2021, they noticed that the rocks had changed under the south abutment for the bridge," said Fred Bonn, the regional director of the Finger Lakes region for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. "And it was not that way. Rocks had shifted, the lines had shifted. They [inspectors] did what we want them to do. They raised their hand and they said, 'Hey, we need to be checking this out. We might have a problem here.'"

An initial investigation was launched and, out of an abundance of caution, park officials closed the Gorge Trail about a week and a half early, Bonn says. He says the updated were getting worse and the bridge was not able to be repaired at the time.

So, in 2022, a temporary trust bridge was built for visitors and has been in use since then. Plans for the new model (rendering pictured above), however, include a lightweight stainless steel design that preserves the arch, a piece of the Sentry's history. It will also rely on the stronger rock of the gorge’s north side for support.

To make the process quicker, the new bridge will be built off-site and lifted into place when completed.

"Yeah, so we're about to put the project out to bid...what that process is, is that we're looking for the best deal, the best contractor to complete the job," said Commissioner Randy Simons from NYS Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. "All those interested in doing the project, they'll submit sort of what they think this will cost. We estimate about $7.5 million and, that has some contingencies in there, about 15%. So we plan for overages just in case."

The money will come from NY Works Funding.

Additionally, the construction process will be rigorous. Officials say this is because they don't want the revamping project to impact any Fourth of July weekends, the busiest weekend at parks across New York.

Therefore, Simons says they are attempting to kickstart the project on July 7, 2025 and finish by the Fourth of July weekend in the following year, 2026.

Not only do visitors show up and out for the holiday weekend but, Watkins Glen State Park has seen a large increase in visitors over the last several years. Last year, in 2023, 1.2 million people visited the park.

Local and state government officials say Watkins Glen is a big spot for tourism in the area, as well as a popular attraction for people living in the region. So, a project like this will only help boost attendance.

"So this bridge yes, it's a bridge, it connects both sides of the gorge, but it connects each other, and more so than ever these days," said Simons. "We need to be more connected to each other because, as we are connected through technology, we're really disconnected in a lot of ways, and parks brings that connections back to the people."

When construction begins in 2025, a few things will change at Watkins Glen State Park. However, Simons also says the enriching experience for visitors will remain the same.

The temporary differences will be that the Gorge Trail and only 15 out of 19 waterfalls will be accessible from the North Rim Trail starting at the main entrance.

Shuttle service, access to the pool, and access to the gift shop and concessions at the north entrance will still be available to the public as the Sentry Bridge is upgraded.

For additional information on Watkins Glen State Park or other local recreation areas, you can visit the NYS OPRHP's website or call 518-474-0456.

More on the centennial celebration and the state's celebration programming can be found on their website as well.