Coal Creek Regional Trail to Open May 8
Boulder County, the City of Lafayette and the Town of Erie are set to open an additional 2.4 miles of the Coal Creek Trail on Wednesday, May 8th. This is a partial opening of the trail, with the remainder of the trail expected to open later this summer. An opening celebration will be scheduled when the entire trail between Lafayette and Erie is complete.
The new partial trail opening starts at the current terminus of the Rock Creek Regional Trail near 120th Street in Lafayette and ends approximately one half-mile north of the trail underpass at Hwy 7. The section north of this point will remain closed due to ongoing construction and visitors must turn around on the trail.
This section of the trail will be open to pedestrians, bicyclist and equestrians. Equestrian use is limited to the section south of Hwy 7.
Construction of the trail cost just over $1.4 million, with funding provided by the three project partners (Boulder County, the City of Lafayette and the Town of Erie) and by a $500,000 Special Opportunity Grant by Great Outdoors Colorado.
Description
Construction of the Eastern Link Trail is anticipated to end in spring 2013. The entire corridor will be closed to the public until construction is complete.
The Eastern Link trail segment starts at the northern terminus of the Rock Creek Regional Trail in Vista Business Park in Lafayette and ends at Vista Parkway in Erie. The Eastern Link is approximately four miles long, with a crusher fines surface with bridges spanning Coal and Rock Creeks and an underpass at SH 7. It will complete the entire Coal Creek trail and nearly the entire Rock Creek trail.
The trail traverses through open space property jointly owned by the City of Lafayette and Boulder County known as Two Creeks Open Space. It also passes through right-of-way owned by the Colorado Department of Transportation, property owned by the City of Lafayette and the Town of Erie.
Funding
Funding for the Eastern Link segment is provided by Boulder County, City of Lafayette, Town of Erie and a Special Opportunity Grant by Great Outdoors Colorado awarded in 2010. Boulder County is using dedicated funds for trail implementation passed by Boulder County voters in 2001 and extended in 2007.
Contact Kristine Obendorf, kobendorf@bouldercounty.org, 720-564-2664.