Residents and C&O Canal park employees on Saturday will celebrate the opening of the canal towpath at Old Angler's in Potomac, after a year-long repair project of storm damage that washed out part of the path.

The $3.3 million project was completed nearly a month ahead of schedule, repairing a 125-foot breach of the towpath caused by Tropical Storm Hannah in 2008, according to a news release. Funds to finish the repair were secured last year and announced at Park After Dark, a fundraiser benefiting the C&O Canal, in fall of 2010.

Guests attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony may park at the Great Falls Maryland Visitor Center parking lot at 11710 MacArthur Blvd. in Potomac. Free shuttles will operate from noon until 3:30 p.m. The event begins at 1 p.m., with guest speakers including National Park Service National Capital Regional Director Steve Whitesell. The ribbon-cutting will be followed by a tour of the newly restored towpath led by Park Superintendent Kevin D. Brandt and others. 

For more information and to RSVP visit the Canal Trust website here.