The city of Durango will close the Animas River Trail near the La Plata County Humane Society starting Thursday for several days.
A detour will route trail users around the construction zone on existing sidewalks.
The trail will be closed for four to five days while the city installs a water main replacement. It is a secondary pipe that carries fresh water to Mercy Regional Medical Center.
Next week, the city expects to be working on the other side of the river to finish the project, Utilities Director Steve Salka said Wednesday.
The construction is estimated to cost $250,000 to $300,000, he said.
The pipe collapsed last summer, and the city had tried to repair it three times before deciding to replace it, he said.
“The pipe was probably close to 50 to 60 years old. We got our money’s worth out of it,” he said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com