A new section of the Sand Creek Regional Greenway trail is being constructed under Smith Rd. and adjacent railroad bridges. In this wider-than-180-degree panorama view taken from Smith Rd. looking southwest, the roughed in trail is visible at left with Smith Rd. and the Central Park Blvd. bridge at right.
Construction is underway that will remove the gap in the Sand Creek Regional Greenway (SCRG) trail, with plans for an opening by Nov. 1. The new trail segment passes under the A Line and Union Pacific Railroad bridges and will allow trail users to travel east and west without disruption and without having to use the sidewalk on the Central Park Blvd. bridge. The concrete trail will be 10 feet wide with three-foot-wide shoulders. The longitudinal grade along the trail will be five percent or less.
The new trail segment will connect the SCRG trail where it passes under the north abutment of the Central Park Blvd. bridge to the segment of the trail that emerges from the “tunnels” section of the regional trail farther east (see map). This segment was closed about six years ago when construction began on the A Line commuter rail corridor. SCRG Executive Director Kate Kramer says, “We are so excited and grateful that the work is underway. The new trail will provide great access to the new RTD Central Park Station and is much safer for trail users. Also, it provides a safe, off-road link that is an alternative for bicycle riders and pedestrians going over the Central Park Boulevard Bridge. Although that bridge is very safe, with the guardrails and wider sidewalk, some people, especially children, find the climb and length challenging. Now there is a good alternative!”
The trail is being constructed by Denver Transit Partners (DTP), which built the A Line. Replacement of the trail became DTP’s obligation when the prior soft-surface trail was obliterated by the construction of new bridges for the Union Pacific Railroad and RTD’s passenger rail facility.
