Paterson Great Falls National Park receives funding for new bridge

PATERSON, N.J. (PIX11) -- He lived in nearby Belleville for years, but it's Glaucio Silva's first time visiting Paterson's Great Falls National Historical Park.

"You see [it] on TV, but when you come here live and you see it yourself, you can smell- even when you walk by the bridge over there, the water splash on your face, it's a great feeling," said Silva.

"It's very nice to know that we have that type of a waterfall here in the middle of a town," said Hector Rodriguez, another first-time visitor.

Around 300,000 visitors come to the Falls every year, enjoying the natural beauty from below, and from above -- at least, to the extent they're allowed; a pedestrian footbridge spanning across the Falls has fallen into disrepair, making it unsafe to cross.

On Friday, Congressman Bill Pascrell joined Mayor Andre Sayegh in announcing $1 million in federal dollars towards building a new bridge.

"The sun is shining on our City, and shining on the symbol of our City," said Sayegh.

"It provides a much easier way to get to the other side of the park with equally nice views," said U.S. Park Ranger Ilyse Goldman. "Currently, people have to walk all the way around, so it'll just be more accessible."

Another $1 million will be used to restore a historic building right across the street -- the Ivanhoe Wheelhouse.

"The first continuous roll of paper that was manufactured in the United States was actually manufactured here in Paterson," said Goldman, "and there were a few paper mills. One of those mills is the Ivanhoe Paper Mill."

"That happened here in Paterson - the first planned industrial city," said Goldman. "People, that's what they find really remarkable. It's not just the Falls."

Officials hope to have the pedestrian bridge reopened by September 2025.