The Neversink Crossing opened last Thursday after much-anticipated excitement, connecting the South Fallsburg and Woodridge sections of the Sullivan O&W Rail Trail. 

The $3.4 million project connects pedestrians, cyclists, and families across a 180-foot long steel bridge that traces the historic New York Ontario & Western (O&W) Railway, using the original stone abutments that were installed in the late 1800s. 

Sullivan County, Town of Fallsburg, and the Sullivan O&W Rail Trail Alliance hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday afternoon followed by a a historical walking tour led by Sullivan County historian John Conway. 

The historic O&W railroad ran through Sullivan County from 1868 to 1957. 

In the early to mid 20th century, the rail line hit financial challenges. Transporting coal was its main business, but as more companies moved to electricity, natural gas, and other forms of energy, the railway went bankrupt and was abandoned in 1957. 

Helen Budrock, chair of the Sullivan O&W Rail Trail Alliance, said that the bridge is both a preservation of Sullivan County’s rich history and what she hopes will become a tourism attraction.

“This is our version of the Walkway Over The Hudson,” said Budrock. “Having a continuous 13-mile section of trail with the [Neversink] bridge in the middle connecting them, all of a sudden it becomes a regional destination for people to make a day-long excursion out of it.” 

Town of Fallsburg Supervisor Nathan Steingart said the bridge is about connecting communities. 

“The bridge isn’t just about getting from one side of the Neversink [River] to the other. It’s about connecting people,” said Steingart. “It connects communities and brings us closer to the vision of more than 13 miles of trail that connects Mountaindale to Ferndale, and it gives our residents another place to walk, ride, and exercise, enjoy nature, and spend time with their families.”

During the walking tour, Conway shared more about how the O&W Railway created and shaped rail towns, and helped boost new industries for Sullivan County like tourism and commercial dairy industries

“Once the railroad began taking milk into New York City, especially in the days before refrigeration and pasteurization, dairy farmers had a new market that was before untapped.”

Visitors can access the Neversink Crossing through the nearby trailheads in Woodridge or through a two-mile hike in from the trailhead in South Fallsburg.