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23 Miles of Winding River and Green Space in The Bronx, Yes, The Bronx

By Eddie Small | October 6, 2016 2:42pm
 Officials broke ground on a project Thursday meant to help realize the goal of establishing a continuous park along all 23 miles of the Bronx River.
Officials broke ground on a project Thursday meant to help realize the goal of establishing a continuous park along all 23 miles of the Bronx River.
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DNAinfo/Jeanmarie Evelly

CLAREMONT — Bronxites moved one step closer to enjoying a continuous 23-mile park running along the Bronx River, when officials broke ground Thursday on a project that will connect Starlight Park with Concrete Plant Park.

Both parks are located along the river, with Starlight Park running from roughly E. 174th Street to E. 172nd Street and Concrete Plant Park running from around Freeman Street to Aldus Street.

The city received a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation in November to develop roughly 0.75 miles of pathway along the river between the two parks, and officials broke ground Thursday on a nearly $40 million project to link the parks and improve the Bronx River.

The two spots will be linked via a series of trails, pedestrian bridges, according to the Bronx River Alliance and the Parks Department.

The effort is part of a goal to eventually create a 23-mile park that runs across the entire length of the Bronx River, and the first stage will also include efforts to restore wetlands and make Bronx communities less vulnerable to coastal storms, according to the Parks Department.

"Every time I visit Starlight Park, I'm in awe with how beautiful the Bronx River is, and that it's in our own backyard," Bronx Council Member Rafael Salamanca said. "This new phase of the Bronx River Greenway will only add additional opportunities for our families to enjoy their Bronx River, and that is incredibly exciting."