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Construction starts on two remaining segments of Eagle Valley Trail near EagleVail

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April 26, 2023, 9:54 am

Eagle County on Tuesday issued the following press release on construction starting on two segments of the Eagle Valley Trail through EagleVail and Dowd Junction:

Construction began on two of the remaining segments of the Eagle Valley Trail, with completion expected within weeks for a third segment. 

The final remaining segment to complete the Eagle Valley Trail through all of EagleVail is underway, with completion slated for the fall of 2023. This short but challenging trail segment is located between US Highway 6 and the Eagle River, at the eastern end of EagleVail. The trail alignment is north of Highway 6 with steep slopes, some of which drop down all the way to the Eagle River. 

Otak, the design engineer, Gould Construction, the general contractor, and ECO Trails, the county department responsible for the planning, design, construction and maintenance of the Eagle Valley Trail, worked closely with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to modify the original trail design, which had previously included a 200-foot long bridge and numerous retaining walls, saving over $1m in construction costs. This half-mile segment of the Eagle Valley Trail completes all missing EagleVail segments, and connects the trail from Kayak Crossing to the EagleVail business center. During construction, vehicle traffic will continue to be two-way, but with very narrow shoulders. Cyclists will need to navigate the construction zone and extreme caution is advised. 

“Once this section of the Eagle Valley Trail is complete, you’ll be able to ride your bike from Edwards to Breckenridge on a dedicated paved recreation trail,” said ECO Trails manager Kevin Sharkey. 

Also slated for construction this summer is another short but difficult segment between US Highway 6 and the Eagle River in Dowd Junction. ECO Trails and Eagle River Water & Sanitation District (ERWSD) are working together as ERWSD installs a new sanitary sewer force main in the narrow corridor. The design will allow significant cost savings in an alternative design for the Eagle Valley Trail. ECO Trails will begin construction of this trail segment once ERWSD has completed the sewer main installation. Construction is slated to begin later this summer, and the project is being managed by Gould Construction as general contractor. Construction of this segment also paves the way for the Minturn connection of the Eagle Valley Trail, which is currently under permit review with the U.S. Forest Service. 

“We ask for the community’s patience and caution throughout these construction projects this summer, whether you’re driving, riding a bike or walking,” Sharkey said.  

Finally, the segment of the Eagle Valley Trail that connects the Duck Pond Open Space west of Gypsum to the beginning of Glenwood Canyon was nearly 100% completed in fall of 2022. While the trail is open to the public, asphalt crews are waiting for temperatures to warm up before installing the final layer of asphalt on the trail. This is tentatively planned for mid- to late-May, according to Sharkey. 

“It’s exciting to see the remaining trail segments coming together,” Sharkey said. “Thanks to the Eagle County Board of County Commissioners’ contribution of $22,000,000 raised by securing Certificates of Participation, as well as some significant state and federal grants and private donations, the construction projects this summer are able to move forward. However, we still need the community’s support to raise the additional funds needed to complete the construction of the trail. Next summer, we will begin the longest and most expensive remaining connection from Edwards to Horn Ranch, west of Wolcott. It will require all of the funding to be raised in 2023 to ensure that section can be completed.” 

Fundraising efforts are underway and more information can be found at www.eaglevalleytrail.org. 


###ESPAÑOL###
 

Comienza la construcción de dos segmentos de Eagle Valley Trail en EagleVail y Dowd Junction


25 de abril de 2023 – La construcción de dos de los segmentos restantes de Eagle Valley Trail ha comenzado, y se espera que se complete en unas semanas para un tercer segmento.

El segmento final restante de Eagle Valley Trail que atravesará EagleVail está en marcha, y está programado para completarse en el otoño de 2023. Este segmento de sendero corto pero desafiante se encuentra entre US Highway 6 y el río Eagle, en el extremo este de EagleVail. La alineación del sendero está al norte de Highway 6 con pendientes pronunciadas, algunas de las cuales descienden hasta el río Eagle.

Otak, el ingeniero de diseño, Gould Construction, el contratista general, y ECO Trails, el departamento del condado responsable de la planificación, el diseño, la construcción y el mantenimiento del Eagle Valley Trail, trabajaron en estrecha colaboración con el Departamento de Transporte de Colorado (CDOT) para modificar el diseño original del sendero, que anteriormente incluía un puente de 200 pies de largo y numerosos muros de contención, lo que ahorró más de $1 millón en costos de construcción. Este segmento de media milla de Eagle Valley Trail completa todos los segmentos de EagleVail que faltan y conecta el sendero desde Kayak Crossing hasta el centro de negocios de EagleVail. Durante la construcción, el tráfico de vehículos seguirá siendo de doble sentido, pero con arcenes muy estrechos. Los ciclistas deberán desplazarse por la zona de construcción y se recomienda extrema precaución.

“Una vez que se complete esta sección de Eagle Valley Trail, podrá andar en bicicleta desde Edwards hasta Breckenridge en un sendero  dedicado pavimentado”, dijo Kevin Sharkey, Gerente de ECO Trails.

Este verano también está programada la construcción de otro segmento corto pero difícil entre US Highway 6 y el río Eagle en Dowd Junction. ECO Trails y Eagle River Water & Sanitation District (ERWSD) están trabajando juntos mientras ERWSD instala una nueva tubería principal de alcantarillado sanitario en el corredor angosto. El diseño permitirá ahorros de costos significativos en un diseño alternativo para Eagle Valley Trail. ECO Trails comenzará la construcción de este segmento de sendero una vez que ERWSD haya completado la instalación principal de alcantarillado . La construcción está programada para comenzar a finales de este verano y el proyecto está siendo administrado por Gould Construction como contratista general. La construcción de este segmento también allanará el camino para la conexión en Minturn del Eagle Valley Trail, que actualmente está bajo revisión de permisos con el Servicio Forestal de EE. UU.

“Pedimos paciencia y precaución a la comunidad durante estos proyectos de construcción este verano, ya sea que esté conduciendo, andando en bicicleta o caminando”, dijo Sharkey.  

Finalmente, el segmento de Eagle Valley Trail que conecta Duck Pond Open Space al oeste de Gypsum con el comienzo de Glenwood Canyon se completó casi al 100% en el otoño de 2023. Aunque el sendero está abierto al público, las cuadrillas de asfalto esperan que las temperaturas aumenten antes de instalar la última capa de asfalto en el sendero. Esto está planeado tentativamente para mediados o fines de mayo, según Sharkey.

“Es emocionante ver cómo se unen los segmentos restantes del sendero”, dijo Sharkey. “Gracias a la contribución de la Junta de Comisionados del Condado de Eagle de $22,000,000 recaudados mediante la obtención de Certificados de Participación, así como algunas subvenciones estatales y federales importantes y donaciones privadas, los proyectos de construcción de este verano pueden seguir adelante. Sin embargo, aún necesitamos el apoyo de la comunidad para recaudar los fondos adicionales necesarios para completar la construcción del sendero. El próximo verano, comenzaremos la conexión más larga y costosa de Edwards a Horn Ranch, al oeste de Wolcott. Requerirá que todos los fondos se recauden en 2023 para garantizar que esa sección se pueda completar”.

Los esfuerzos de recaudación de fondos están en marcha y se puede encontrar más información en www.eaglevalleytrail.org.

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David O. Williams

Managing Editor at RealVail
David O. Williams is the editor and co-founder of RealVail.com and has had his awarding-winning work (see About Us) published in more than 75 newspapers and magazines around the world, including 5280 Magazine, American Way Magazine (American Airlines), the Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), the Anchorage Daily Press (Alaska), Aspen Daily News, Aspen Journalism, the Aspen Times, Beaver Creek Magazine, the Boulder Daily Camera, the Casper Star Tribune (Wyoming), the Chicago Tribune, Colorado Central Magazine, the Colorado Independent (formerly Colorado Confidential), Colorado Newsline, Colorado Politics (formerly the Colorado Statesman), Colorado Public News, the Colorado Springs Gazette, the Colorado Springs Independent, the Colorado Statesman (now Colorado Politics), the Colorado Times Recorder, the Cortez Journal, the Craig Daily Press, the Curry Coastal Pilot (Oregon), the Daily Trail (Vail), the Del Norte Triplicate (California), the Denver Daily News, the Denver Gazette, the Denver Post, the Durango Herald, the Eagle Valley Enterprise, the Eastside Journal (Bellevue, Washington), ESPN.com, Explore Big Sky (Mont.), the Fort Morgan Times (Colorado), the Glenwood Springs Post-Independent, the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, the Greeley Tribune, the Huffington Post, the King County Journal (Seattle, Washington), the Kingman Daily Miner (Arizona), KUNC.org (northern Colorado), LA Weekly, the Las Vegas Sun, the Leadville Herald-Democrat, the London Daily Mirror, the Moab Times Independent (Utah), the Montgomery Journal (Maryland), the Montrose Daily Press, The New York Times, the Parent’s Handbook, Peaks Magazine (now Epic Life), People Magazine, Powder Magazine, the Pueblo Chieftain, PT Magazine, the Rio Blanco Herald Times (Colorado), Rocky Mountain Golf Magazine, the Rocky Mountain News, RouteFifty.com (formerly Government Executive State and Local), the Salt Lake Tribune, SKI Magazine, Ski Area Management, SKIING Magazine, the Sky-Hi News, the Steamboat Pilot & Today, the Sterling Journal Advocate (Colorado), the Summit Daily News, United Hemispheres (United Airlines), Vail/Beaver Creek Magazine, Vail en Español, Vail Health Magazine, Vail Valley Magazine, the Vail Daily, the Vail Trail, Westword (Denver), Writers on the Range and the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Williams is also the founder, publisher and editor of RealVail.com and RockyMountainPost.com.