HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. — Stairway access from the town of Harpers Ferry to the C&O Canal Towpath will be shut down beginning Monday.
The closure is expected to last ‘several weeks,’ according to information from the The National Park Service.
Work has been ongoing to improve the Goodloe Byron Memorial Footbridge with a more user-friendly stairwell connecting the Byron Bridge to the towpath at mile 60.6.
During the time of the closure, a shuttle will run between the C&O Canal and Harpers Ferry NHP.
A message from the park service lays out the details: July 27, 2026 the shuttle service will again be activated so the temporary stairway can be removed. During that time, a shuttle will run between C&O Canal Lock 34 and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Visitor Center. The shuttle will run during normal operating hours 9:00AM – 6:30PM – 7 days a week.
First bus will depart from the Harpers Ferry NHP Visitor Center at 9:00AM for Lock 34. Last bus will leave Lock 34 at 6:30PM for the Harpers Ferry NHP Visitor Center.
The National Park Service said existing stairway and walkway were dedicated in 1987. The stairway is at the end of its life cycle and is in need of replacement.
The existing structure has been subjected to scour, debris flows, and flooding from the Potomac River; the new stairway has been designed to address greater anticipated frequency and magnitude of flooding.
This project seeks to improve the quality of this heavily-traveled connection by installing a new access stairway to carry foot and bicycle traffic between the C&O Canal Towpath and the Byron Bridge.
The new stairway will include an improved tread surface, a bike ramp, deep foundations to resist river scour, stabilization of the area around the structure to resist erosion during future floods, and will allow for two-way traffic (upward and downward).