Area Trail Repairs Ongoing

Above: Public art along the River Trail in Lansing’s Old Town.

With trail repairs and upgrades ongoing around the region, Friends of the Lansing Regional Trails (FLRT) hosted their annual meeting at the Lansing Brewing Company on July 9. President Dana Graham hosted the presentation, which included updates on local trail improvements and expansions from area Parks and Recreation officials.

Wendy Longpre, Assistant Director of the East Lansing Parks, Recreation & Arts Department, shared information about ongoing repairs along East Lansing’s Northern Tier trail system. Repair projects will continue throughout the summer, including resurfacing 3.5 miles of the asphalt trail, as well as structural repairs to the pedestrian bridges on Kalamazoo Street and Hagadorn Road.

Below: Flowers growing on a bank along East Lansing’s Northern Tier Trail

Longpre explained that because the bridges near campus need to be completed before MSU’s classes start again, work crews have been moved to those projects even though some of the trail repairs along the Northern Tier haven’t been completed yet. All East Lansing trail repairs are projected to be completed by October.

Below: a biker uses a reconstructed bridge along the Northern Tier Trail in Harrison Meadows.

Longpre also gave an update on the trail extension through White Park, which will continue north from the expanded bridge over White Pond and terminate at the intersection of Lake Lansing Road and Towar Avenue. East Lansing is working with the Ingham County Road Department to upgrade the pedestrian-activated crossing signals at that Intersection.

The White Park trail extension was funded through a grant from the DNR Trust Fund and from the Ingham County Parks and Trail Millage.

At the July 9 meeting, Brett Kaschinske (above), Lansing Parks and Recreation Director, also had information to share regarding trail repairs and closures on the Lansing River Trail. Starting in August, several major repairs will be underway on the River Trail which will necessitate closures and detours.

The largest project being undertaken is the replacement of the bridge between Potter Park and Aurelius Road, which is the site of frequent flooding. In order to lessen the impact of flood events, Kaschinske explained, they will be increasing the span of that bridge to cross over the most frequently flooded sections of trail.

The railroad bridge south of Crego Park will also be undergoing structural repairs, and a section of the trail near Elm Street will be closed while the Board of Water and Light (BWL) replaces a steam tunnel and improvements are made to the bank stabilizing retaining wall on the river’s edge.

Up to date information regarding trail closures, detours and flood stages can be found on the FLRT webpage.

Disclosure: Jessy Gregg serves on the Ingham County Parks and Recreation Commission, which scores applications for funding from the Ingham County Trails and Parks Millage. She is paid $60 per meeting and attends about 18 meetings per year.