Work that began May 1 on five new biking trails at Durango Mesa Park is on track for compilation by fall, with about 35% of the project completed so far, according to an update from the Durango Mesa Park Foundation to City Council this week.
Gaige Sippy, Durango Mesa Park board of directors member, said five crews from AJ Construction, Progressive Trail Design and Durango Trails are expected to complete work on five new trails, including one beginner and two intermediate one-direction downhill flow trails, by the fall, with some of the trails opening by August.
He said the downhill trails are the first one-directional trails for the Durango community and mark a “paradigm shift” that will require signage and information at the trail’s entry points. And, all the new trails will be e-bike accessible.
In all, about 6.3 miles are being constructed in addition to a revamped design for the Horse Gulch trailhead, which is planned for completion in September or October.
One of the downhill trails, referred to as the Meadow Intermediate Downhill Trail, is being designed to accommodate adaptive bicycles, a first for the city, he said. Crews are working with Adaptive Sports, a nonprofit organization for athletes with disabilities, to design the trail. More adaptive amenities are being considered for a proposed bike park down the line.
A hub for cyclists and hikers planned for a southeast area of the park will link to several downhill trails and trail connections, the longest of which, the Mesa Connection, will span west all the way to the Horse Gulch trailhead.
Sippy said the hub where trails converge provides a nice vantage point overlooking meadows and will have shade structures and seating available.
“It really is the gateway to Durango Mesa right there,” he said. “And then in the future, we’ll build a trail from that location over to the bike park proper.”
Ture Nycum, director of Durango Parks and Recreation, said the trails project also serves as a drainage project. The trails are being designed so that all water will be diverted under the trails through a culvert or culverts to other areas.
“The only water that will hit the trails is the water that will come from the sky,” he said. “It will help with sustainability of the trails and maintenance of the trails.”
The Durango Mesa Park Foundation and the city of Durango are also about to dive into an annexation process that has been years in the making, Moira Compton, executive director of the foundation, said.
The annexation involves 1,928 acres of land, including county-owned trails and a parcel already obtained by the city, she said. The foundation will appear before the Durango Planning Commission on July 24 to discuss the process. It plans to submit a petition for acceptance to City Council on Aug. 1 and then have a public hearing on the annexation on Sept. 5.
Tom Sluis, city spokesman, said the landmass to be annexed is roughly equivalent in size to most of downtown Durango, however, the majority of the land is open space, so the overall impacts are expected to be minimal.
Nycum said Durango Police Department will have jurisdiction at the park.
Mike McVaugh with HDR, which was contracted by the foundation, said the first phase of construction requires turn lane and surface improvements to a nearly 2-mile long access road linking Colorado Highway 3 to the top of the park. Work to be done includes reducing the road grade from 12% to 13% to 8% or less to comply with city design and annexation requirements.
The road will be built in three phases, with certain features such as a traffic signal being installed later on when necessary, he said. The phases are in conceptual stages of planning and bids for construction could go out as early as this winter.
Water and sewer infrastructure also needs to be installed, and questions remain about proportionate cost sharing between the city and the Durango Mesa Park Foundation, he said. Conceptual work with La Plata Electric Association is slated to begin next week as well, and again, cost sharing options will be discussed.
“The water and sewer can be done in phases also,” he said. “Some of the initial work that’s going to happen in phase 1 with the bike park, they don’t need full amenities quite yet. As it builds out and facilities come online, then that water and sewer need will happen.”
An emergency egress road got through an initial design process this week, he said.
McVaugh said the current goal is to bring cost assessments to City Council in July.
The Durango Mesa Park and its numerous amenities, which include a bike park and a multisport complex, is expected to become fully open and usable in 2025.
Nycum said in 2024 the city will have about $3.5 million waiting to be spent for construction of the roadway and the bike park. Other, less expensive amenities such as a dog park and disc golf course could also be included in construction costs next year, depending on funds available.
cburney@durangoherald.com
