Erie canal reconstruction in Camillus
By Laura Hand
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 7:15 p.m.
CAMILLUS --
The Camillus Erie Canal Park is about to have a new attraction: a working aqueduct. Construction crews are working on the old water bridge over 9 Mile Creek, using the 1839 piers and arches made from stone believed quarried from Split Rock, and building a water 'cradle' that will carry water 7 feet deep across the creek.Dave Beebe has been dreaming of getting the project done for 38 years, and doing it historically accurately has not been easy.
They started with 144' carrying beams as the base---but finding trees that big is virtually impossible nowadays, so they had a Sydney, NY company glue laminate them---then, to make them last longer, they had to be treated with a chemical that's not allowed in manufacturing here in NY, so the wood was shipped to South Carolina for that step. Then, Camillus said that beams that long could not be transported through the community safely, so they cut them in half to negotiate roads.
On top of the beams, they've been laying tongue and groove wood, to make the bottom of the aqueduct. The sides are thick wood, drilled and lag bolted together to make a seven foot deep channel above where the creek might rise in a 'century flood'
Beebe says the aqueduct first held water in 1845, and the wood would be re-done every 8 to 10 years. The 2009 version should last 30 to 50 years. And, it's almost ready. They still have to ensure that the canal sections on each side have a thick enough clay bottom, to keep water from leaking out, then temporary earth dams will be removed, and it should be ready for tour boats in August. The Canal Park also has a new 32' pontoon boat that will carry up to 30 people for Sunday tours, and the regular summer dinner cruises can now go further up the canal.
Beebe says there's more on the agenda: rebuilding an 8,000 foot feeder canal that brought water from another part of Onondaga Creek to fill the Erie.
A vintage metal bridge from the Skaneateles area may replace the wooden footbridge over the feeder, as well.
To see more, and for directions: http://www.eriecanalcamillus.com/
