Parkway Update: Trail Detours Near Sac State
Map of the detour courtesy of the Army Corps of Engineers (click to enlarge)
The Army Corps of Engineers is working on a levee improvement project between the Campus Commons Golf course and the Northrop Avenue access (approximately between miles 6 and 7).
Because of this work, starting this week, the main trail will be closed and trail users will be detoured along the old Lower Loop trail.
Additionally, access to the Parkway via Northrop Avenue will be closed. (This is where we get to the trail from the Howe Avenue Panera Restaurant.)
Before the detour took effect, the US ACE spruced up the old Lower Loop trail, filling potholes and trimming the shrubbery. However, the roadway is narrow and the lines of sight in this section are short. Be very careful of speeding bicyclists.
There are many construction projects along the American River Parkway scheduled for this year. You can see them all on an interactive map here. (This is project #5.)
The project is scheduled for completion by November 30th.
To reiterate what John notes, I rode through this area this morning and will hit it on the way home. For anyone riding, you’ll need to slow down as the old trail has not been maintained well if at all and/or patched roughly for use as the detour. For runners, you’ll need to be aware as the weeds/brush on the edges are overgrown so there is little if any shoulder.
1That was my biggest concern about the detour. I don’t get the impression the US ACE was worried about the non-cycling users of the trail. Whenever we get this detour, it’s always dicey.
2They did a pretty crappy job of patching up that trail. They should have been required to repave it. It is a really rough ride for skinny tires. Two years in a row of having to ride that trail has made me cranky.
3