Fresh snowmobile tracks could be seen here Thursday on the Adirondack Rail Trail at the Union Depot in Saranac Lake. (Enterprise photo — Andy Flynn)

SARANAC LAKE — Snowmobile activity has commenced along the Adirondack Rail Trail section between Saranac Lake and Lake Placid, where construction has been taking place.

In the state lands report during the Dec. 15 Adirondack Park Agency meeting, Deputy Director for Planning Megan Phillips announced that the section would be opened by Dec. 19 for snowmobiles and other winter recreational activities.

“Those include cross-country skiing, fat bikes and snowshoeing,” she said.

Snow fencing has been placed at certain parts of the trail, including the entrance at state Route 86 just outside of Saranac Lake, for safety reasons.

Phillips also reported that unnecessary track was being removed and ground was being graded at the Union Depot in Saranac Lake and Kubricky Construction was working on the Washington Street parking area in Tupper Lake.

Crews began removing rails and ties along the 34-mile Adirondack Rail Trail between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake in October 2020. Phase 1 of the trail — between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake — began in October, and construction is expected to be complete in the fall of 2023. Phase 1 also includes the Tupper Lake parking lot.

The state Office of General Services awarded a $7.9 million construction contract for Phase 1 to Kubricky Construction Corporation, of Wilton. It is being funded by NY Works, plus $225,000 from the state Environmental Protection Fund for construction oversight and inspections.

Phases 2 and 3 — between Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake — are expected to be complete by 2025.

When complete, the 10-foot-wide trail will be topped with crushed stone dust, and it will be paved smoother in portions of the village of Saranac Lake and across bridges. The trail will have a grade of 2%, which is expected to make it accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.

In March, the state Department of Transportation transferred jurisdiction of the Lake Placid to Tupper Lake section of the trail to state Department of Environmental Conservation. The DEC now manages the recreational activity, public safety, construction and maintenance of the trail. Construction is pausing for the winter and will resume in the spring.

The DEC offers the following tips for cross-country skiers and snowshoers along the Adirondack Rail Trail:

¯ Ski and snowshoe single file to leave space for other users.

¯ Stay to the right and pass on the left. Always look before changing positions on the trail.

¯ Yield the right of way to those passing from behind.

¯ If traveling at night, wear proper reflective gear, a head lamp and a flashing light on your back to ensure visibility by snowmobilers.

¯ If possible, avoid snowshoeing in ski tracks.

The DEC offers the following tips for snowmobilers along the Adirondack Rail Trail:

¯ Comply with all signs and respect barriers.

¯ Avoid trails with inadequate snow cover

¯ Keep speeds low around populated areas, road intersections and staging areas. Follow all speed limit signs.

¯ When riding at night, use extra caution, wear reflective clothing and reduce your speed.

¯ Buddy up with two or three riders, reducing your vulnerability if you have an accident or breakdown.

¯ Ride single file, keep to the right and pass on the left only when the trail is clear.

¯ When stopping on the trail, pull your snow machine as far right and off the trail as possible.

¯ Yield the right-of-way to skiers, snowshoers and other non-mechanized forms of travel, as well as those passing or traveling uphill.

For more information about the Adirondack Rail Trail, visit the DEC website at www.dec.ny.gov/lands/124911.html or the Adirondack Rail Trail Association’s website, www.adirondackrailtrail.org.