Poudre Trail Near Homestead Natural Area Reopens With Enhanced Safety and Stability

After five months of construction, the Poudre Trail near Homestead Natural Area has reopened, showcasing the collaborative efforts of several City departments.

The section of trail, which was closed between Mulberry Street and Lincoln Avenue, was suffering from years of erosion due to high water flows. These issues were threatening underground utilities, as well as creating safety concerns for trail users and nearby structures.

In order to complete the necessary repairs on time and within budget, and to ensure future safety and stability, several City departments joined in the project. With collaboration between Utilities, Engineering, Natural Areas, Parks and Park Planning & Development teams, multiple outcomes were achieved with minimal disruptions to the community. Key highlights from the project include:

• Rebuilding 250 linear feet of the riverbank along the northwest side of the Homestead Natural Area. A 450-foot section of the Poudre Trail was realigned to allow the trail system to be more resilient from future damage due to high flows along the river, with increased safety for trail users.
• Parks and Forestry crews coordinated hazard tree mitigation work along the Poudre Trail between Mulberry and Lincoln during the construction closure.
• Significant amounts of debris and concrete rubble dumped along the bank were removed during the demolition phase. Crews installed buried riprap (rock) to protect the sanitary sewer line and the bank was regraded to a more stable slope.
• Native vegetation and trees are being planted to establish enhanced habitat and stability. Planting will continue over the next few weeks depending on weather.

Residents asked to recreate responsibly during COVID-19
While the City of Fort Collins continues to address community-wide impacts related to COVID-19, trail users are encouraged to follow recommended guidelines from public health partners including limiting exercise activities to include only people you live with, maintain six feet of physical distancing, continue to wash hands frequently, and stay home if you are sick. For more information about the City’s response to the coronavirus, visit fcgov.com/coronavirus.

For additional information on this and other riverbank improvement projects, contact Project Manager Beck Anderson at 970-214-8885 or [email protected] or visit  fcgov.com/poudre-improvements.

For more information regarding the current status of trails, visit fcgov.com/parks/trail-status.