HALFMOON — Fishing is temporarily banned at a popular spot for angling on the Mohawk River beneath the Crescent Bridge as a safer access and more comfortable conditions are constructed to reel in bass, northern pike and walleyes.

Under current conditions, people looking to fish in the waters that are shaded all day by the Route 9 bridge had to walk a rocky, frequently muddy path, hike through high weeds and then stand on a narrow, open cement platform overlooking the water.

“It was a ‘use at your own risk’ area,” Halfmoon grant coordinator Nelson Ronsvalle said. “Our goal has been to make the area accessible to everyone, especially people with physical challenges.”

After months of planning and grant applications, 80 percent of the $76,000 project will be funded by the state Department of Transportation, with the remaining 20 percent picked up by the town of Halfmoon with money set aside in the current budget.

Work by R&J Kerr Construction began Wednesday and was well under way by late afternoon. The first stage included stringing up temporary orange fencing to keep people out of the area, although a few joggers went around the barrier early Wednesday.

“People aren’t expecting to see anything going on down here, but we’re working with heavy excavation equipment, so they need to steer clear,” said Howard Weller, partner with Rick Alderman of R&J Kerr.

Early work also included constructing a U-shaped path from the parking lot on Terminal Road to the site under the bridge. The project also calls for adding two handicapped designated parking spaces by the path.

“You’ll be able to get under the bridge by bike, by foot or in a wheelchair,” Alderman said. “It’ll be easier for people to carry in their gear and chairs.”

The paved path will be bordered by a split-rail fence, and a timber foot bridge will be built over a dip in the path that frequently becomes a muddy puddle after a rainfall.

Under the bridge, dozens of large boulders are being removed to make way for the paved path to continue to a pier at the water’s edge, with curbs on all sides so that people in wheelchairs can use it safely. About 50-feet of guardrail will be placed along the river bank as a further safety measure.

Bench seats will also be placed close to the water. The area surrounding the pier will be landscaped.

Some of the long-term inhabitants of the area won’t be permanently displaced once the construction is done.

“The ducks and turtles are still around,” Weller said. “We won’t be putting up any ‘Don’t Feed the Ducks’ signs.”