The MKT Nature and Fitness trail will undergo work this winter that will result in a section of the trail being closed for several months. At least two of the bridges along the trail will be replaced in a $380,000 overhaul, creating detours.
A meeting has been called this Thursday for park planners to discuss the project with residents. The meeting will be taking place at the Martin Luther King memorial section of the trail, just off Stadium Boulevard between 4 and 6 p.m.
The project follows on recommendations made in a 2013 engineering study and report that looked closely at the bridges.
Janet Godon is a park planner in Columbia.
“The bridges are all about 100 years old and while they certainly can carry the weight of pedestrians and cyclists what they can’t do is support the weight of maintenance vehicles and emergency vehicles. It’s important for us to replace these should anybody get hurt on the trail or if we need to carry out any emergency repairs, in case of any flooding or trees coming down on that section.”
One section of the detour takes walkers along Stadium Boulevard, where there is no sidewalk.
There are other options, according to Godon:
“There is a wide shoulder there but it’s not your only option. The Hinkson Creek trail and the MU Recreation trail will still be open and those are great routes for getting to the downtown area or to campus. You do not have to use the side of the road there on Stadium but it’s an option if you choose to do so.”
Thursday’s meeting will take place at Martin Luther King Jr Memorial, 800 Stadium Boulevard.
Information and maps related to the MKT trail works can be found at here.
