On August 14, 2014 at 10:00a.m., the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Walkway Over the Hudson Organization will provide community leaders and the media with a first look and first ride aboard the newly opened Walkway Elevator that connects the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world to the Poughkeepsie waterfront 21 stories below. The elevator will then open to the public at 1:00p.m.

The waterfront elevator provides a direct connection from the elevated park to the Hudson River shoreline, including Waryas Park and the new Upper Landing Park; will facilitate tourism by providing more direct access to the Poughkeepsie train station; and will provide easier access for persons with disabilities to the park near the center of the bridge. The $2.8 million construction project is funded primarily by a $2.4 million federal Transportation Enhancement Program (TEP) grant and other grants secured by the not-for-profit Walkway Over the Hudson friends group.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 180 state parks and 35 historic sites, which are visited by 60 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.