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St. Vrain Greenway restoration continues; new trail detour in place

The detour, which started today, extends from South Sunset Street and Price Road and is expected to be in place through 2023.
Julie Baxter
Julie Baxter
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The St. Vrain Greenway Trail near Left Hand Brewing (Photo by Macie May)

Ongoing work to repair and restore the Longmont’s St. Vrain Greenway is moving upstream, prompting a 1.1-mile trail detour that started today.

The detour will extend from South Sunset Street on the west to Price Road on the east, according to a city news release. It is expected to be in place through 2023 as improvements are made to a half-mile section of the trail and the St. Vrain Creek between Izaak Walton Nature Area and Price Road, the city stated in the release. 

Improvements underway, which are part of the Resilient St. Vrain project, include construction of a flood control channel and new trail between the BNSF railroad crossing and Boston Avenue; relocation of utilities upstream of Boston Avenue; replacement of the Boston Avenue Bridge; and construction of a levee and new trail between Izaak Walton Pond and the St. Vrain Creek (in coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers), according to the news release. 

The Corps of Engineers began studying St. Vrain Creek corridor improvements in 2017 and decided they qualified for a $15 million boost as part of the Section 205 program, according to a city news release issued Oct. 29. Section 205 of the Flood Control Act of 1948 allows the  Corps of Engineers to construct or improve site-specific flood risk management projects, the release states.

The Resilient St. Vrain Project is an extensive, multi-year plan to fully restore the St. Vrain Greenway and improve the St. Vrain Creek channel to protect people, property and infrastructure from future flood risk. 

Resilient St. Vrain began after the catastrophic September 2013 floods.

The trail underpass at the BNSF railroad crossing and street trail access at Price Road will not be impacted by the closure and detour. However, work that will be completed this spring, including fencing, railing, irrigation and landscaping, could impact those locations and the city is asking trail users to use caution and to avoid active work areas.

2021_03_25_LL_st_vrain_greenway_detourThis map shows the St. Vrain Greenway detour that went in place Thursday, March 25, 2021, that is expected to last through 2023. Courtesy city of Longmont