New Yorkers wishing to head for the hills will have one fewer option this spring — the Breakneck Ridge station on the Metro North’s Hudson Line will close for two years starting April 21 to allow for major renovations.
The station, nestled between the towns of Cold Spring and Beacon, primarily serves hikers on their way to and from Hudson Highlands State Park. Currently only five trains a week serve the Breakneck Ridge station, and only on the weekends.
During the closure, crews will be building a new connecting bridge from the Breakneck station to the Breakneck Trail trailhead, allowing hikers to cross over New York State route 9D rather than walk along the shoulder of the highway.
“When this project is completed, Metro-North riders will once again have direct access to one of New York’s most popular hiking destinations and safer passage to Hudson Highlands State Park,” Metro-North president Justin Vonashek said in a statement.
The trailheads for the Breakneck Ridge Trail and the nearby Wilkinson Trail will also be closed for the duration of the project.
Melissa Cascini, a program coordinator at the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference told the Daily News that hikers would still be able to access some of the ridge’s scenic overlooks from adjoining trails, including those accessible from the nearby Cold Spring train station.
The project’s website also recommends other similar nearby hikes.
The two-year closure is the first step in the creation of a planned Hudson Highland Fjord Trail linking Beacon and Cold Spring.