DRYDEN, NY (607NewsNow) – Construction on key connectors in the Dryden Rail Trail is scheduled to begin this spring.

On February 5, the town announced that the State DOT finally approved a bid for the long-awaited Route 13 footbridge portion of the project.

The successful bid of $3,174,624 comes from Hurd Development out of Endwell. The bridge will be located between the Route 366 and Lower Creek Road intersections, connecting the eastern and western sections of the trail.

“The Route 13 bridge is the linchpin of the Dryden Rail Trail,” said Dryden Deputy Supervisor Dan Lamb. “Beyond recreation and transportation alternatives – the basis for several grants – we expect the trail to encourage smart growth, improve access to affordable housing, and attract new businesses and tourism.”

The developer will also resurface a 1.5-mile section from Pinckney Road to Monkey Run with a stone-dust surface similar to the Black Diamond Trail. It will be fully ADA-compliant.

Once it’s completed, the nearly 15-mile trail will link the eastern boundary of the Town of Dryden through the Jim Schug section and the Villages of Dryden and Freeville, continuing through Etna and Varna, finally reaching Game Farm Road near Cornell University, where it joins the East Ithaca Recreation Way.

Over $2.8 million in state and federal grants and local contributions have been secured for the bridge and trail improvements.

Alice Walsh Green, who chairs the Dryden Rail Trail Task Force, said the decision to build the bridge came after extensive review from the DOT, Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council, and a county-funded engineering study of alternatives.

“After reviewing all available options, we determined the bridge offers the safest, most cost-effective, and commuter-friendly way to cross this busy highway,” added Green.

The collective work is expected to wrap up by the end of 2026.