Delaware & Raritan Canal Towpath repaired and resurfaced

The Delaware & Raritan Canal Towpath is in the process of being resurfaced to repair flood damage from Hurricane Irene back in September.  Much of the work is likely to have already been completed but there could still be some rough spots particularly in the area south of South Bound Brook which saw some very bad damage.  From the look of things that I saw, the towpath looked as good as it was just prior the Hurricane Irene and likely better.

The freshly resurfaced pathway at the Manville Causeway.

However, it would appear that once again no binding agent was used to help cement the crushed red shale aggregate together from water caused erosion.  A quick and low effort pawing at the surface with my shoe easily put a divot in the surface an inch deep.  This calls into question whether the trail surface will just wash away again in the next flood just as I predicted the first time I reported the trail resurfacing nearly two years ago.  

In other D&R news, there is a minor but well marked detour in South Bound Brook as some sort of major earth moving is being done between the canal path and the Raritan River near the Queens Bridge over the Raritan.  Fortunately, when the factory site was redeveloped in S. Bound Brook a number of years ago, the old train bridge that went over the canal to access the old factory was saved and an access path was built to allow easy and convenient access to the canal from the local neighborhood (many locals could be seen accessing the towpath when I stopped for a quick look).  This wise move years ago is now paying off as this access now provides a critical function allowing for a simple and safe detour and not one that would require trail users to ride on a dangerous section of Easton Ave near Interstate 287.

Oh yeah!  Don't forget that the D&R Canal Towpath is a large and vital link of the East Coast Greenway here in New Jersey.

Delaware & Raritain Canal Towpath flooded just about everywhere

Oh no! Not again!

Record setting flooding of the Raritan and Millstone Rivers in NJ has undoubtedly left 20 miles of the D&R Canal impassible from Landing Lane in New Brunswick to Rt 27 in Kingston. Be prepared to use  on-road alternatives until further notice, even after the flooding recedes, as damage to the unpaved trail is likely to be extensive.  You can check out the East Coast Greenway Alliance Facebook page for updates.

Also, the canal towpath along the feeder canal that runs along the Delaware River from Trenton to Millford is also likely underwater in places.  Luckily, it seems that the flooding on the Delaware was not as bad as forecast by the USGS.

D & R Canal Commission on the block. Why you should care.

You learn something new everyday.

Just recently I learned that the Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission has been proposed to be eliminated by NJ DEP Commissioner Bob Martin under the premise that the functions that the Canal Commission performs are replicated in the DEP's State Historic Preservation Office and the Land Use Regulation Program.  That may be so on paper but the Canal Commission has a superb track record of efficiency and since their sole purpose is to protect and maintain the water resource, historic nature of the D&R Canal and the recreation opportunities that the Canal and park provides, it is only natural that the Commission would be able to do a better job at protecting the Canal and maintaining the towpath since that is all they focus on.

Could beautiful sights like this along the D&R Canal become a thing of the past?

A press release by the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association has this to say about the role the Canal Commission plays in maintaining the recreation opportunities along the D&R Canal:

D&R Canal Towpath Resurfaced this past Summer

At some point this past summer a portion of the Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath was resurfaced and the width standardized using a crushed red shale aggregate. The installation of the new surface has been confirmed from Landing Lane in New Brunswick, all the way down to the Griggstown Causeway but could extend further south than that.

The new smooth red shale surface on the D&R Canal Towpath.
This section is between New Brunswick and South Bound Brook,
just behind the Rutgers Preparatory School on Easton Avenue.

The new surface is a real pleasure to ride on and is even stable enough for cyclists using narrow road tires even though I wouldn't recommend using a road-bike on the towpath over long distances. With the new smooth surface, riding the canal towpath can now be done at faster speeds and is wide enough for two riders to comfortably ride abreast of one another.

Also, red shale is native to the Piedmont Region that the canal passes through so it looks natural and not out of place like some of the other materials used on the path in the past. I find this to be a nice aesthetic detail and give the D&R Canal Commission a "Thumbs-Up!" for getting this detail right.

Here the new surface was put down underneath this long and bumpy stone spillway.
While currently a pleasant and clever alternative to the spillway, this new surface
is likely to erode away the first time the canal level breaches the spillway.

My only concern is that a binder agent was not added to the red shale aggregate to stabilize the material from water caused erosion. Already there was some evidence if minor erosion in scattered locations and there has been very little rain in this area all Summer. It would seem that come the first major rain event, the amount of erosion will become much more noticeable and I have little hope of this material will remain in place during any flooding, which is very common along the entire length of the canal.

How was that Congressional Ride on the D&R Canal?

This past weekend around 50 people joined the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition (note the name), the East Coast Greenway Alliance, Trenton Cycling Revolution and the West Windsor Bicycle & Pedestrian Alliance to ride and celebrate the newly-constructed portion of the D&R Canal Path in Trenton. This portion of the Canal was lost long ago when NJDOT covered the canal to build the Freeway section of Route US 1. The new section of trail was built along side an active but rarely used freight line and around several billboards (oddly enough it was the billboards that cause more trouble than the train tracks - watch Rush Holt's comments in video).


View D&R Canal Final Link in a larger map

Joining the above groups in celebrating the completion of this trail were several elected representatives. Most notable was Congressman Rush Holt (Democrat 12th District) and Assemblywoman Grace Spencer (Democrat 23rd District - Newark / Hillside) (Grace gets extra kudos for coming down all the way from Newark and riding with us. PS - This lady can ride!!).

Here is a video that Paige of the New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition did of the opening speeches given by the present elected representatives.




Here are some pictures of the ride to the Battle Monument in Trenton from the Brearley House in Lawrenceville, including the new section of trail. Also don't forget to check out the video of the new trail made by John at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.

NJB&WC President Jim Nicholson shakes Congressman Rush Holt's
hand for a job well done by the Congressman in helping complete the trail.

Riders along a well established section of D&R Canal Towpath.

Cyclists ride down the ramp to the bridge over US Route 1.

Cyclists enjoy the new section of trail in Trenton.

Another view along the new section of trail.

Cyclists arrive at the beautiful Trenton Battle Monument.


Riders return back to the Bearley House by crossing the canal to continue on the trail.

Ride With US (And Members of Congress?)

The New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition (note the new name), along with the East Coast Greenway Alliance, the Trenton Cycling Revolution and the West Windsor Bicycle & Pedestrian Alliance are hosting a ride to celebrate the newly-constructed portion of the D&R Canal Path that completes the towpath/bikeway from New Brunswick, through Trenton and north along the Delaware River to Milford in Hunterdon County. A distance of 60 miles.


Ride With Us
Brearly House
Meadow Rd, Lawrenceville, NJ
August, 14th 2010
9:30 AM

14 mile out and ride with members of Congress (Invited), state and local officials.

The new connecting trail segment follows a rail alignment adjacent to Route 1 from Old Rose St to Mulberry St. in Trenton.

RSVP to info@njbike.org by August 7th, if you are interested in a complementary lunch.
















As of mid July the north end of the D&R canal connector trail at Mulberry St. in Trenton was freshly paved and waiting to be landscaped