Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories

Niagara fishing pier to be closed weekdays beginning Sept. 30 for safety during roadway improvements

by jmaloni

Submitted

Thu, Sep 26th 2013 05:15 pm

The New York Power Authority today announced the public fishing pier at the base of its Niagara Hydroelectric Power Plant will be closed weekdays beginning Monday, Sept. 30, through the remainder of the fall fishing season due to the major roadwork renovations underway along south access road. Safety concerns during roadway work activities require the admission-free fishing pier be closed to the public on weekdays. On the weekends, access to the fishing pier will be available, as usual, from dawn to dusk.

"The road work is being undertaken to provide safe access for fishermen to navigate the area on the way to the pier," said Lou Paonessa, NYPA director of community relations. "The narrow lanes of traffic, large trucks coming down the access hill and lack of adequate parking and turnaround space at the bottom of the hill simply make the approach too dangerous for public access while work is in progress."

When completed late next year, the renovations that began on Sept. 9 will provide a redesigned, paved and safer access road for vehicles and pedestrians. A riverside, pedestrian walkway will be constructed along the road from the upper to the lower parking lots, with a guide rail separating vehicles from pedestrians.

As a result of the extensive construction, about half of the parking spaces in the lower lot will be unavailable. Additional parking will be available in the upper lot at the top of the hill from the pier. Hikers proceeding along the shoreline from Devil's Hole will not have access to the stairway between the lower lot and the water's edge because the south end of the lot will be blocked off in the interest of safety.

The fall fishing season ends at first snow or ice, or on Nov. 1, depending on which happens first.

Hometown News

View All News