Santa Fe Trail on track to reopen by summer in Colorado Springs
Devotees of the New Santa Fe Regional Trail, rejoice - El Paso County hopes that a closed section of the trail will be reopened by late spring or early summer.
The announcement at Thursday’s board of commissioners meeting is the first time the county has given a time frame for the reopening of a 7-mile stretch of the trail that skirts the Air Force Academy.
The academy cited security concerns when it closed the section in May. The academy and county have been working on a plan to reopen that part of the trail, which includes creating a volunteer watch group, installing cameras, fences and signs.
Now, an end to the closure is in sight, said Tim Wolken, the county’s director of community services. “We are confident that we’ll hopefully be open for the summer,” he said during the commissioners meeting.
Wolken was presenting another update on the Santa Fe trail – an easement to the town of Monument - when Commissioner Amy Lathen asked for an update on reopening of the trail’s academy section.
While signs, fences and cameras don’t have to be in place by the time the trail reopens, the county had to have a plan completed and approved by the Air Force Academy before the trail could reopen, Commissioner Darryl Glenn said.
“I don’t think these things will affect the timeline,” Glenn said.
The trail closure raised a hue and cry among bikers and runners, particularly among marathon runners who value the trail as an ideal training spot, Glenn said.
The county spent months developing a plan the academy would support, but some details must be worked out regarding how the new security system will work, including recruiting frequent users to serve as watchmen who can report anything suspicious, Glenn said.
While the county and the academy continue to hone details on the security measures, there is confidence that people can be back on the trail for the summer.
“I am pretty excited,” Glenn said. “It just shows that we can work collaboratively with the military.”
Lisa Parker runs along the New Santa Fe Regional Trail north of the Woodmen Road with her dog, Kuna, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016. El Paso County hopes to reopen the seven-mile stretch through the Air Force Academy late Spring, early Summer. The trail was closed last May because of security issues on the Academy. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Tyler Woolley, left, and Jim Kallemeyn check their time after reaching the closed section of the New Santa Fe Regional Trail at the southend of the Air Force Academy during their lunch run Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016. El Paso County hopes to reopen the seven-mile stretch through the Air Force Academy late Spring, early Summer. The trail was closed last May because of security issues on the Academy. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)