RAY BROOK — People looking to use the Adirondack Rail Trail over the next couple of weeks should be prepared for ongoing construction as crews improve two segments of trail around Ray Brook and Saranac Lake ahead of the busy summer months.
Saranac Lake
An approximately 0.3-mile portion of the trail in Saranac Lake has been closed since May 1, and is expected to reopen in early June, though an exact date has not yet been announced, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, which oversees the rail trail.
“Progress is proceeding as planned and is expected to conclude by early June,” a DEC spokesperson said. “However, all work is weather-dependent.”
The closure is from the rail trail’s intersection with the Saranac Lake Village Path near Will Rogers Drive on the east side to McKenzie Brook on the west side, according to a closure map issued by the DEC. There is signage at the Fowler’s Crossing parking lot — about half-a-mile east of the construction area — stating that the trail is closed, with a map of the work area.
While the sign at Fowler’s Crossing states that the trail is closed, the attached map and DEC website indicates users can proceed half a mile along the rail trail from that parking lot.
“The portion of trail from Fowler’s Crossing to the village’s paved trail towards the Aldi’s business area will remain open,” the DEC’s website states as of Tuesday afternoon.
The DEC encourages trail users who want to use those portions of the rail trail to plan out-and-back trips on both sides of the closed trail rather than taking a detour around it. Nearby roads are busy and could create a potentially dangerous situation with the traffic.
The scope of work centers around removing culvert pipes, and installing a bridge and additional rail fencing. Issues with culverts in this section were discovered during the construction of Phase 1, which finished in December 2023. It was subsequently determined that the culverts would need additional work, according to a DEC spokesperson.
Ray Brook
The rail trail was closed between trail parking lots at Fowler’s Crossing and Ray Brook Road due to active construction as of Tuesday morning, which began on Monday. Crews are replacing a culvert pipe. That is expected to conclude by Friday — or earlier — and the trail is expected to reopen from Fowler’s Crossing toward Ray Brook.
The culvert closest to Fowler’s Crossing is only a portion of the Ray Brook area rail trail construction, which is expected to continue through early June. Contractors have until June 15 to complete the scope of the work, although they currently anticipate an earlier completion date, according to a DEC spokesperson, who noted that this work is also weather-dependent.
The good news for trail users is that once the culvert work closest to Fowler’s Crossing is complete, there will be a detour that bypasses the rest of the trail construction, allowing people to continue east toward Lake Placid or west toward Fowler’s Crossing.
The DEC’s recommended detour will have eastbound trail users get off the trail at its intersection with Pendergast Farm Way and continue toward Ray Brook Road. Users are then advised to head east and return to the rail trail at the Ray Brook Road pull-off. Vice versa for trail users heading west.
Crews are adding insulation to steam pipes that run under the trail in this area. The pipes heat the state Adirondack Correctional Facility and previously had a sufficient insulation barrier from train track ties. When those were removed to create the rail trail, the lack of insulation caused portions of the trail to be warmed and remain unfrozen.
“Snowmobile use this past winter caused damage on this unfrozen section and spread stone dust along the trail,” a DEC spokesperson said. “The current work will install insulation above the pipes then cover the area in gravel and a topcoat of asphalt pavement.”
The DEC contracted with Kubricky-Jointa Lime, LLC to perform the work in both the Saranac Lake and Ray Brook portions of trail. Updates on Adirondack Rail Trail construction from the DEC, along with maps of the work areas, can be found at tinyurl.com/5btw73cv.