Cyclists and pedestrians will soon have to take a detour at a popular stretch of the Greenway in Manhattan. 

Starting Monday, a large swath of the cycling and walking path along the Hudson River in Upper Manhattan will be closed for construction.

What You Need To Know

  • Starting Monday, the Greenway will be closed along the water from 100th Street to 125th Street, a section known as the Cherry Walk

  • A temporary detour will redirect New Yorkers onto Riverside Drive

  • The work is expected to last until the spring of 2025, according to the Park’s Department
  • Construction crews will work to make the Greenway smoother by repairing cracks and uneven surfaces

“It’s in horrible shape, but that’s part of its charm,” said Babette Audant, an avid runner who enjoys running along the water.

Cyclists, walkers and runners, sometimes contend with potholes and rough terrain. According to some New Yorkers, the makeover is long overdue.

“It’s very treacherous, actually. The bumps, sometimes I wonder if I’m gonna crash, especially if you have people speeding,” said Kola Apatira, a cyclist.

Corry Penny, a runner, expressed similar sentiments. 

“It’s pretty tough. There’s a lot of potholes, and even sometimes the trees are kinda overlapping the pathways, so it’s not really a good pathway to run, but I’m making do,” Penny said.

“It’s best to have a nice smooth surface. You know, you can trip — I’ve tripped a couple times — when I’m in the streets because it’s always so bad,” Art Lorenz, who was running, told NY1. Lorenz is also a biker.

Starting Monday, the Greenway will be closed along the water from 100th Street to 125th Street, a section known as the Cherry Walk. A temporary detour will redirect New Yorkers onto Riverside Drive.

"I mean I would like to be able to keep my same path, to keep my serenity every weekend,” said Penny. “Is this gonna be a detour to go to another area to run? I mean, I have to do what I have to do.”

“I’m not a competitive runner. That’s a really steep slope, and I know from people who really train, it’s not a great detour, it’s a narrow road,” said Audant of Riverside Drive.

The work is expected to last until the spring of 2025, according to the Park’s Department.

“It’s awful, this is my regular running path,” said Audant. “It’s beautiful, it’s rhythmic, it’s its own community.”

“I’m gonna be looking forward to having that clean pathway to be able to run. I’m sure it’ll be good for the bikers as well. So it’s a place that we love to come out every weekend to enjoy the view, to enjoy the people and connect,” said Penny.

In a statement, the Parks Department said the community has been asking for upgrades to this area of the Greenway for years. 

Another section of the Greenway also remains closed further uptown by 181st Street due to a sinkhole on the path.