CLAYTON â Nestled atop forested and grassy acres, the McCarn Creek bridge shows its age.
The 160-foot-long and 60-foot-high stone-foundation crossing runs through the S. Gerald Ingerson Preserve of the Thousand Islands Land Trust, and the rusting trestle framework and decaying wood ties will soon be revived.
The revival is a culmination of a yearslong effort to restore the inactive railroad bridge and reconnect a portion of the Sissy Danforth Rivergate Trail.
In the fall, TILT was awarded a $50,000 grant from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program to support the McCarn Creek bridge renovations, but state funding only covers roughly one-third of the total project cost. TILT is pushing for a June community fundraising deadline so renovations â including the rehab of girder bearings, wood support beams, decking and safety rails â can be completed by the end of the summer.