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When building the Erie Canal in 1855, the engineers decided to build the canal OVER the existing roadway.
Here's a short video..you can get the big picture in less than a minute. However, if you elect not to view the
video, you also missed an interesting feature from the old believe-it-or-not publications.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTGXdyK-Lo4 The land there is quite level, because it follows a natural route. Remember, much of the Erie canal, is the
Mohawk River, but that is further east from this location. ..Besides, the land levels off there on the Lake Ontario escarpment.