Erie Canal

Canal in New York, USA, which connects Lake Erie north of Buffalo with the Hudson River at Albany and Troy; it passes through Utica, Syracuse, and Rochester. It is 45 m/148 ft broad and has an average depth of 3.6 m/12 ft. The canal was begun in 1817 and completed in 1825 at a cost of over $7 million. Together with the Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga–Seneca canals, it constitutes the New York State Barge Canal System, 845 km/525 mi in length.

The original canal was 580 km/360 mi long, 21 m/69 ft wide and 3 m/10 ft deep, with 34 locks. It was later improved in order to allow for the passage of vessels over 1,000 tonnes/984 tons. Its construction cost 1,000 lives and ran $3 million over budget.