Snøhetta & schlaich bergermann partner Unveil Completed Sentry Bridge at Watkins Glen State Park
A New Pedestrian Bridge Crafted with Wonder
Watkins Glen, NY – July 30, 2026 – The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) has unveiled the new Sentry Bridge at Watkins Glen State Park, a landmark gateway to one of New York's most iconic natural destinations. Designed by a team led by the New York-based studios of schlaich bergermann partner (sbp) and Snøhetta, the bridge reimagines a beloved park crossing through a design that balances engineering innovation with deep respect for the site's historic character and dramatic natural landscape.
Venturing through Watkins Glen State Park is a wondrous journey of cavernous rock walls, waterfalls, still pools, and mossy seeps. The new Sentry Bridge, designed by a team led by the New York-based studios of sbp and Snøhetta builds upon a legacy of trail structures within the beloved state park. The bridge marks the entrance to the gorge and commemorates one hundred years of past and future public works built by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
"This project restores access to one of the most breathtaking gorge trails in the country while ensuring this critical infrastructure will serve park visitors for generations to come. This milestone would not have been possible without the dedication and expertise of our staff and the design and construction teams who brought the project to life," said New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Kathy Moser.
More than one million visitors traverse the park's famed Gorge Trail annually. As the point of entry into the gorge, the bridge and trail improvements both welcome and set a tone for adventure. The new bridge replaces the original Sentry Bridge, which served visitors for more than a century. Following inspections that identified structural deterioration caused by erosion and unstable rock conditions, OPRHP determined that a full replacement was necessary and commissioned sbp and Snøhetta to develop a permanent solution that honored the historic bridge while addressing the site's unique engineering challenges.
"The completion of the Sentry Bridge continues public enjoyment of Watkins Glen and welcomes new generations of nature-seekers from across the world," said Alan Gordon, Partner and Architect at Snøhetta. Matt McMahon, Project Director also notes, "The bridge and pathways honor the histories and craft traditions of the gorge, protect unique cliff and creek ecosystems. and heighten the experience of stone and water.”
The custom-built stainless steel structure cantilevers 46 feet across the gorge. It bears entirely on the north side where the bedrock is stronger and able to support the load. The bridge’s half-arch gesture recedes behind the southern rock face, expanding views of the waterfall, cliffs, and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)-era gorge trails above.
"The bridge demonstrates how thoughtful engineering can support both performance and experience," said Michael Stein, Managing Director at schlaich bergermann partner. "By developing a lightweight, cantilevered structure that could be prefabricated and installed with minimal impact on the gorge, we were able to create a resilient crossing that responds to the site’s environmental sensitivities while enhancing the journey through one of New York’s most remarkable landscapes."
Craftsmanship is central to the bridge's character. The materials – a shot-peened stainless steel structure, black locust wood rails, custom bronze castings, concrete formed of rough sawn hemlock, and a new bluestone landing – were purposefully selected for their contextual, tactile, and durable nature.
“Fabricated locally, the bridge carries the marks of its makers,” says Donesh Ferdowsi, a Project Designer with Snøhetta. “The details are explicit and unadorned, designed to endure the passage of time rather than resist it.”
The bronze castings feature finer elements of the site. An endangered dragonfly, a rare plant, and a model of the historic arch bridge offer detailed, tactile moments to pause and examine the cultural and natural heritage of Watkins Glen. The bridge also meets New York State Parks' rigorous 100-year durability requirements, a standard that shaped every material decision.
Experientially, the work frames views of the waterfalls and geology below, heightens awareness of the mist and shifting light, and creates a physical encounter with the landscape rather than mere passage through it. Considered material transitions give visitors something to hold, something to feel, a direct connection to place. Custom black locust handrails and piton-inspired anchor points navigate the irregular surfaces of rock walls and tunnels to provide grip and tantalizing movement behind waterfalls, through tunnels, and up rock-hewn staircases.
With its thoughtful integration of architecture, engineering, craftsmanship, and environmental stewardship, the new Sentry Bridge continues Watkins Glen’s long tradition of connecting people to nature through carefully crafted public works.
Gallery
Photos by: Barrett Doherty
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Prime Project Team:
- Owner: New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
- Prime Consultant / Bridge Design and Engineering: schlaich bergermann partner, New York, NY
- Bridge Design Architect and Landscape Architect: Snøhetta, Brooklyn, NY
- Civil and Environmental Engineering: Lu Engineers, Rochester, NY
- Historic Preservation: Old Structures Engineering, New York, NY
- Wayfinding and Signage: Moniteurs Communication Design, Berlin, Germany
- Lighting Design: schlaich bergermann partner, New York, NY
- Geotechnical Engineering: Langan, Parsippany, NJ
- Electrical Engineering: SJH Engineering, Princeton, NJ
- Land Surveyor: GdB Geospatial, A SAM Company, West Henrietta, NY
- Contractor: Twin Tier Constructors, Inc., Scottsville, NY
- Owner’s Representative: C & S Companies, Syracuse, NY
- Steel Fabricator: LMC Industrial Contractors, Inc., Dansville NY
- Bronze Castings: Erie Bronze & Aluminum, Erie, PA; Matthews International, Pittsburgh, PA
- Wood Fabricator: Tri-Lox, Brooklyn, NY
About Snøhetta
Since its founding in 1989, Snøhetta has established a reputation for design that is both conceptually rigorous and deeply rooted in cultural, environmental, and social context. Snøhetta’s work spans architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, and product design, emphasizing human experience, ecological sensitivity, and a collaborative process.
The firm gained international recognition with its competition-winning design for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt, which established its global presence and transdisciplinary approach. Landmark projects followed, including the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet in Oslo, the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion in New York, and the redesign of Times Square, alongside a wide range of cultural institutions, civic spaces, and public landscapes worldwide. Recent and ongoing work includes major cultural projects across Asia, Europe, and North America, experimental sustainable buildings, and retail and exhibition environments for international brands.
The firm has received numerous international honors, including the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture, Mies van der Rohe Award, among others.
About sbp
schlaich bergermann partner (sbp) is an international, award-winning structural engineering design firm founded in Stuttgart, Germany in 1980 with offices in New York, Los Angeles, and seven other locations worldwide. They design celebrated bridges, long-span lightweight roofs, slender towers, and innovative buildings across the world. Signature bridge projects in North America include Williams Crossing in Tulsa, the 16 Tech Innovation District Bridge in Indianapolis, and a family of bridges for the new Port Lands district in Toronto. Their work involves a thoughtful approach to finding efficient, elegant, and environmentally sensitive design solutions that respond uniquely to their site and context. sbp works with clients, collaborators, and the public to create bridges that provide both a connection to communities and a cherished symbol of regional transformation. Visit sbp at https://www.sbp.de/en
Press Contact
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