New Philadelphia, Ohio (WJER) - City leaders are giving canoers and kayakers more ways to enjoy the Tuscarawas River. 

Service Director Ron McAbier says the city received successful bids for work at the Coniglio property and the Carlisle canoe livery to install boat ramps at those locations.

“We had that rebid. It came in extremely high, so we re-bid that, and were lucky enough to get a strong bid from Ohio Erie Excavating out of Bolivar. It saved the city around $96,000,” he says.

McAbier says those two points will allow kayakers more accessibility to different areas of the river.

"It can get us from the waterworks, you can go all the way up to the wastewater plant in Dover or go all the way down to the spillway just right there past the mall,” he says. “We can go all the way into Tusky now and come back up the river if we need to.”

McAbier says the ramps will also make the river more accessible to first responders for water rescues. 

“That’s always been an issue with the fire department and getting their rescue unit in there,” he says.

McAbier says the entire project is expected to cost about $629,000 and should be done in time for the start of the season in May. The city is using Clean Ohio grant money to cover a majority of that cost. 

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