Project Update - October 2023
Construction is complete and the trail is officially open to the public.
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Due to ongoing site stability concerns, the section of trail in Whitemud Creek Ravine adjacent to 54 Avenue needed to be repaired.
Construction is complete and the trail is officially open to the public.
This trail provides the only access to the west side of Whitemud Creek in this area of the ravine and is used extensively by recreational users, so it needed to be permanently repaired to maintain the connectivity of the Whitemud Creek Ravine trail system. Due to limited trail widths and unsafe conditions, the trail was closed to public use in spring 2020. The repair created safe, long-term access to the Whitemud Creek Ravine and the overall trail system.
Construction included the removal of compromised bank material and vegetation. The banks were then reconstructed and protected with riprap armouring. A robust naturalization plan was implemented after the stabilization work was complete.
Items in scope for this project included:
Tree removals were necessary for long-term stabilization of the banks adjacent to this section of trail. A robust naturalization, or re-planting, plan was implemented once the stabilization work was complete.
The naturalization plan enhanced and improved the existing ravine ecosystem and native species including balsam poplar, white spruce, white birch, dogwood, sandbar willow, silverberry and willow were planted.
Construction is complete and the trail is officially open to the public. A guard rail, or other protective measure, will be installed this summer for a small section of the existing trail which poses a safety hazard. This work will not require a trail closure. Please obey the existing barricades for the interim.
Construction is now underway. The trail will remain closed during the duration of construction, but the Project Team will explore the possibility of reopening a section of the trail once it is safe to do so. That is expected to be in the latter winter months of 2023. A partial closure will be required again in the spring for naturalization work.
All environmental approvals are now in place and construction began in October 2022. The trail will remain closed during the duration of the construction, but the Project Team will explore the possibility of reopening a section of the trail once substantial completion is achieved. That is expected to be early 2023. A partial closure will be required again in the spring for naturalization work.
The City is currently awaiting environmental approvals before construction can begin. It’s anticipated construction will start October 2022. Construction is expected to be complete in spring 2023.