American River levee work blocks part of Sacramento bike trail. When will it reopen?

Brianna Taylor
·2 min read
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The construction on and around the waters of the American River has disrupted portions of the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail in Sacramento, leaving some people curious about when it will return to normal.

Reader Sean McDaniel, who regularly bikes the trail on the American River Parkway, said the levee work near Campus Commons Golf Course and Sacramento State has forced bikers to detour on to “rough” pavement that’s difficult to ride on. The canopy that used to line the trail has also been removed, he said.

“Kind of looks like a moonscape now, where before you’d ride along through the trees,” the Carmichael resident said in a phone interview.

“Now we’re riding through this sort of concrete jungle.”

Here’s what we know about the levee construction and when the trail should fully reopen to residents:

What’s the project?

The work that’s affected portions of the trail near the American River is part of the Lower American River Erosion Protection project.

Construction, which began last year, is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers alongside the California Central Valley Flood Protection Board, the California Department of Water Resources and the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency. Crews are working to reduce flood risk by strengthening portions of the riverbank along the lower American River to prevent erosion.

If not fixed, the levee foundation could compromise and fail, according to previous Bee reporting.

What’s the status of the bike trail?

Construction is separated into several sites, and depending on where you access the trail, you’ll be met with detours.

The American River Parkway trail near Campus Commons Golf Course and Howe Avenue will fully reopen by the end of the year.
The American River Parkway trail near Campus Commons Golf Course and Howe Avenue will fully reopen by the end of the year.

The work at Site 2-1, located near Sacramento State from Guy West Bridge to Glenn Hall Park, is complete. In an emailed statement, spokesperson Tyler Stalker with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the trail is no longer impacted by any of the agency’s construction.

There is a detour on the opposite side of the American River.

The bike trail at construction sites 2-2 and 2-3 are detoured to the top of the levee that runs parallel to the trail, located between Campus Commons Golf Course and Howe Avenue Bridge.

According to an August update from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, contractors at Site 2-2 are nearly halfway complete installing grouted anchors. At Site 2-3 near Howe Avenue Bridge, crews are prepping for riverbank protection installation.

People along the trail may be asked to stop at Campus Common Golf Course or near Howe Avenue Bridge to allow construction crews to travel to and from the site.

When will the trail fully reopen?

The trail near construction sites 2-2 and 2-3 is slated to fully reopen by the end of the year, Stalker said, when construction is complete.

When will Campus Commons Golf Course reopen?

Campus Commons Golf Course is scheduled to reopen between late next year and early 2025, Stalker said.

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