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Letchworth
State Park Portageville Entrance Reopens
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Road and
Trail Realignment, Restoration and New Parking
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Improves
Access and Enhances Gorge Views
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Albany,
NY – October 2018 / Newsmaker Alert / The
State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic
Preservation (State Parks) announces the reopening of the Portageville
Entrance at Letchworth
State Park, the Parks' southernmost entrance that offers convenient
access from Route 19A/436 to the Glen Iris Inn and upper, middle and lower
falls. The transformation features a straightened realignment of Park Road
at the entrance, restoration along Trail 1 at the intersection with Trail
2 which ties into the restoration work on the stairs leading down to the
upper/middle falls, new native plantings and a new parking lot relocated
to the gorge side of the road for better viewing.
The
Portageville Entrance had been closed since December 2015 when construction
on the new Portageville Bridge began. Upon completion of the new bridge
late last year work immediately began on the Portageville Entrance transformation.
The
transformation is made possible through a combined partnership with Norfolk
Southern and the NY Parks 2020 initiative, Governor Cuomo's multi-year
commitment to leverage $900 million in private and public funding for State
Parks from 2011 to 2020. Since 2011 more than $16 million has been invested
into Letchworth State Park (photo
gallery) that includes a new nature center, new camping and comfort
facilities, rehabilitated roads and entrances and trail improvements.
The
New
York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees
more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses,
boat launches and more, which are visited by 71 million people annually.
A recent study found that New York State Parks generates $5 billion in
park and visitor spending, which supports nearly 54,000 jobs and over $2.8
billion in additional state GDP. For more information on any of these recreation
areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit
www.parks.ny.gov,
connect with us on Facebook,
or follow on Instagram
and
Twitter.
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Contact:
Press
Office
518-486-1868
Press.Office@exec.ny.gov |