Construction work continues at the Tupper Lake train station, seen here on Thursday. (Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)

TUPPER LAKE — Things are on track for the Tupper Lake train station and nearby maintenance shed renovation projects.

The work, which began shortly after the solar eclipse in April, is scheduled to be completed next July, according to Erik Thomas, the engineer in charge of the projects. Thomas is a project manager for Bette & Cring Construction Group, which was awarded the state Department of Transportation’s bids for the projects last September.

The construction centers around building a new low-level island (with tracks on either side) platform, along with new track sidings and a new adjoining maintenance shed, according to posts made by Bette & Cring on their Facebook and LinkedIn pages. The platform will be 18 feet wide and 550 feet long (9,900 square feet) and will be covered by a canopy. The platform will be American Disabilities Act compliant and will include wheelchair lifts. A baggage platform capable of loading bicycles and kayaks onto trains will also be constructed.

The DOT originally opened a bid for a larger project that included improvements on several satellite stations along the Adirondack Railroad, including Sabattis and Beaver River, according to Thomas. He said the DOT was unable to get any contractors to bid within the state’s proposed budget.

“Originally, it was going to be an entire rebuild from Thendara to Tupper. However, there were no bidders,” he said. “The DOT then split the project up into five or six different smaller projects to make sure they get bidders.

“Bette & Cring got the platform for Tupper Lake, and we were also fortunate enough to get the (Washington Street) maintenance shed.”

Bette & Cring’s corporate office is located in Latham. The firm also has an office in Watertown, where most of the crew for the Tupper Lake projects are based, Thomas explained. Given the extended commute — roughly two hours each way — he said employees are provided lodging accommodations in Saranac Lake if they do not want to make the trek home at any given time.

Thomas said Bette & Cring is also subcontracting several local businesses to assist in the project.

“I’ve got Geomatics land surveying (headquartered in Saranac Lake) performing my survey and layout. Jeffords Steel and Engineering, out of Potsdam, is performing my steel for the platforms. Mitchell Stone Products, out of Tupper Lake, is providing my aggregates. Upstone Materials (headquartered in Plattsburgh with a quarry near Saranac Lake) is providing my concrete material.”

While the construction project has temporarily closed the Tupper Lake train station, as it serves as a field office for engineers and construction workers, the Adirondack Railroad is still able to service Tupper Lake.

“As part of our extra work for the project, the DOT authorized my company to build and install temporary pedestrian mats on the west side of state Route 3. Scenic trains, they’ve been using it all summer. They stop the locomotive right there, allow people to get off, and be active in tourism from there,” he said.

As winter approaches, Thomas said they will continue working and as weather conditions allow.

“I’m going to be active rebuilding rail during that time until the Tupper Lake winter shuts me out,” he said.

He does not expect their work to impact snowmobilers using the railroad corridor.

“I know the area is pretty active with snowmobiling. The snowmobiling shouldn’t be impacted too much. Snowmobilers can still ride along our right-of-way,” he said.

Thomas noted that if they are active at certain points during the winter, they will put signs up around their site to give riders advanced notice of workers near the trail so they can slow down and proceed with caution.

The project was fully funded by the DOT as part of an effort to enhance the scenic Adirondack Railroad experience.

Tupper Lake is the northern terminus of the Adirondack Railroad, which extends south to Utica, and the southern terminus of the Adirondack Rail Trail, which stretches north to Lake Placid. The railroad was originally constructed in 1892. The rise of automobiles diminished passenger and freight volume on the railroad throughout the first half of the 20th century, ceasing in 1965 and 1972, respectively, with a brief period of passenger service from Utica to Lake Placid for the 1980 Olympic Winter Games.

The tracks became defunct for a time until a restoration effort near the Thendara/Old Forge section of the track began in 1992. By 2022, the railroad to Tupper Lake had been restored, and scenic rides began operating. The 34-mile section of track between Tupper Lake and Lake Placid was removed and converted into a multi-use rail trail, capping off a lengthy battle between those who wanted to see the railroad restored in its entirety and those who wanted to see the section of rail between Old Forge and Lake Placid be converted into a multi-use trail.