Poudre River Trail: Fort Collins, Larimer county update progress on filling remaining gaps

Despite no signs of construction on two key gaps of the Poudre River Trail heading into fall, city of Fort Collins and Larimer County officials say sections of those gaps will be complete, or nearly complete, by the end of this year, as promised.

There remain essentially two short but critical gaps — about three-quarters of a mile for the city to complete and a 1-mile section for the county to complete — before the more than 40-mile trail from Bellvue just west of Fort Collins to Greeley can become reality after more than 40 years of planning and construction.

A $2 million Great Outdoors Colorado grant secured through Larimer County in 2019 is being used to fund the final segments between Windsor's Kyger Open Space and Colorado State University's Environmental Learning Center in southeast Fort Collins.

Originally, the trail was to be completed in 2022, then 2023, and now not until spring of 2025.

Here's a progress update of the two key sections of the 10-foot wide concrete trail.

Fort Collins says it will finish part of its Poudre River Trail this year, more next year

Dave "DK" Kemp, senior trails planner for the city of Fort Collins, said the city will complete its section in three phases.

He said construction will start this month and conclude in late fall to early winter on the roughly half-mile gap from the existing trail north of the Timnath Walmart Supercenter to the recently completed Interstate 25 underpass section. It will continue west to an existing trail at the city's Arapaho Bend Natural Area that connects to an existing trail at Rigden Reservoir.

Phase 2 of the project is scheduled for late winter to early spring of 2024 and includes building a trail just east of the Environmental Learning Center's parking lot south to Larimer County Road 9, crossing the Great Western Railway line.

Completion of Phase 3 is more complicated, but is expected to be completed in spring of 2025, Kemp said.

He said the city continues to negotiate an easement agreement with a private landowner covering roughly a one-quarter mile gap to connect the new trail from Phase 2 between the ELC south to the existing trail on the northwest corner of Rigden Reservoir.

That is the preferred route.

If a deal can't be reached, Kemp said the city will look at alternative routes to close the gap.

"We still think completing this section is feasible by spring of 2025,'' Kemp said.

To see a detailed map of the gaps, visit larimer.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/2023/goco-prt_context_6_20_23.pdf.

Larimer County's completion of its Poudre River Trail section balancing on a bridge

Zac Wiebe, Larimer County planning and natural resource specialist, said the county is wrapping up negotiations with a private landowner and waiting on Colorado Department of Transportation final approval. He expects to start construction this fall on its roughly 1-mile section from Windsor's Kyger Open Space north to the existing trail in southeast Timnath.

He said the county is expected to complete the concrete trail by the end of this year. However, a bridge will likely be the holdup of opening the trail by the end of this year.

He said due to supply chain issues the county isn't sure a bridge to be placed over an irrigation canal will be fabricated in time to open the trail this year.

"Without the bridge, we can't open the trail,'' he said. "It's looking very likely we will open the trail in spring because of that. Believe me, we are increasingly anxious to get it done."

He said the new trail will connect to Windsor's existing trail on the northeast corner of Kyger Reservoir, just west of Colorado Boulevard or Weld County Road 13 in west Windsor. The trail will go north, include a pedestrian crossing at Larimer County Road 32E, and continue north to Timnath's existing trail system.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Will the Poudre River Trail ever be completed? We have your answer