TRR photo by David Hulse Rt. 97 can provide scenic beautty any time of day, like this burning August 5 sunset in Barryville. The highway will be seeing a new birth next month with its rededication as the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway. It will be a day-long, valley-wide celebration. (Click for larger image)

Dedication schedule for the new scenic byway

By DAVID HULSE

RIVER VALLEY — With Governor Pataki’s anticipated signature, September 21 is scheduled to mark the dedication ceremonies for the newly authorized Upper Delaware Scenic Byway, which is better known as Route 97.

Those ceremonies are expected to take place most of the day along the roadway, as an official motorcade will make its way northbound from Port Jervis all the way to 97’s northern terminus in the Village of Hancock. Ceremonies are planned locally in almost every hamlet along the way.

Developing the byway has been a long process. Discussions about the byway program began in the Sullivan County Legislature in 1997, but it was fall of 1999 before Sullivan County Planning Commissioner Alan Sorensen’s efforts won a $150,000 planning grant, which set the local planning process underway.

The resulting plan won New York State Department of Transportation approval in May and was subsequently adopted by the New York State Legislature earlier this summer.

Designed as a scenic highway and built during Franklin Roosevelt’s term as Governor of New York, Route 97 follows the old Delaware and Hudson Canal along the river in its southern reaches and rolls with the upland Catskill foothills in its northerly identity.

The following prospective schedule reads from the bottom (south) up and in most instances allows generous travel time between ceremonies along the 70.5-mile route.

Village of Hancock, northern terminus
Arrive 4:00 p.m.
(40 minute drive)
Depart 3:00 p.m.
Long Eddy, Town of Fremont, Sullivan-Delaware county line
Arrive 2:40 p.m.
(20 minute drive)
Depart 2:20 p.m.
Callicoon, Town of Delaware
Arrive 2:00 p.m.
(15 minute drive)
Depart 1:45 p.m.
Cochecton Station, Town of Cochecton, Lunch Stop
Arrive 12:55 p.m.
(20 minute drive)
Depart 12:35 p.m.
Narrowsburg, Town of Tusten
Arrive 12:15 p.m.
(25 minute drive)
Depart 11:50 a.m.
Minisink Ford, Roebling Bridge, National Park Service
Arrive 11:30 a.m.
(15 minute drive)
Depart 11:15 a.m.
Barryville, Town of Highland
Arrive 10:55 a.m.
(15 minute drive)
Depart 10:40 a.m.
Pond Eddy, Town of Lumberland
Arrive 10:20 a.m.
(15 minute drive)
Depart 10:05 a.m.
Mongaup Access, New York State departments of Transportation and Environmental Conservation, Sullivan-Orange county line
Arrive 9:45 a.m.
(10 minute drive)
Depart 9:35 a.m.
Sparrowbush, Town of Deerpark
Arrive 9:15 a.m.
(15 minute drive)
Depart 9:00 a.m.
City of Port Jervis, southern terminus
Upper Delaware Scenic Byway dedication, ribbon cutting and celebration
8:00 a.m.
Coffee and doughnuts at Homer’s, corner of Pike and East Main Streets
7:30 a.m.