COLORADO SPRINGS — Road crews in Colorado Springs are moving quickly to wrap projects as days get cooler, but a couple of major projects on the city’s trails system are just getting underway. "We feel like our weather is more stable this time of year. We're not getting the monsoons," said Scott Abbott with Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services. Too much rain can disrupt this kind of work.
Rain and the wear and tear it causes, is also a major reason the trail work needs to happen. At Red Rocks Open Space Park a series of trail closures over the last week of October are scheduled. Rainy days earlier in the year revealed spots needing work. "We're constantly chasing the weak spots," said Abbott. Erosion is an indicator of need for some grade and drainage fixes. Water needs to go off the side of the trail, not down it. "So, a lot of this trail work is to help water movement and get if off the trail and that trail will be sustainable over time," said Abbott. Adjustments to the design while the issue is minor, prevents worse and more expensive damage.
A much longer closure is happening on a mile and a half of the urban Pikes Peak Greenway Trail. It will last nearly six months. The million-dollar project replaces crumbling asphalt with concrete.
The Greenway trail is popular with recreational users as well as commuters. The blocked segment is between the Rockrimmon/North Nevada I-25 interchange and Woodmen Road. The detour is Tech Center Drive just to the east of the trail.
