Erie Canal Culvert

About

The Erie Canal’s completion in 1825 allowed travelers to shorten their trip across New York state. Once the canal was built, a trip across the state went from weeks to just days.

A culvert is a passageway typically built to allow water to travel under a roadway, railroad or other passage that cannot be obstructed by running water. Usually a closed conduit, culverts are common throughout New York. They allow streams to flow under the roads we drive on.

This particular culvert in Medina does the opposite. Instead of allowing water to flow under, it allows the water to flow over the roadway.

Originally built in 1823, the culvert method was chosen carefully. Because the canal runs along a berm in this section, north-south passage was difficult. The drop from the towpath down to the road is about 20 feet. Any bridge would have needed to be much higher to allow boats to pass underneath. A bridge that tall would require long approach roads on both sides of the canal or very steep grades.

After much engineering and consideration, the decision was made to let the road pass under the canal using a culvert.

Although many New Yorkers still refer to the waterway as the Erie Canal, it was renamed the New York State Barge Canal in 1905 when it was widened and rerouted in some areas. The Medina Culvert was reinforced in 1906 to accommodate the wider canal.

Today, it remains the only place on the entire canal system where vehicles and pedestrians can pass underneath the canal. Sidewalks on both sides allow for walking under the waterway.

Despite being nearly 200 years old, the culvert remains in good condition, though water sometimes drips from the ceiling. The Medina Culvert is recognized by Ripley’s Believe It or Not as a unique feat of engineering and an important part of New York’s canal history.