Durango City Council will postpone seeking bids for a proposed $4.1 million pedestrian bridge near 32nd Street, but that doesn’t mean the design process won’t move forward.
The city this week deferred or scaled back more than 30 projects, which totaled more than $6 million in the 2020 budget. The cuts come amid what is expected to be lower-than-expected sales tax receipts resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, which has shut down many businesses. While bidding and construction halted for the bridge project, City Council is working through design alternatives.
“COVID-19 is absolutely unprecedented, and we have never experienced anything like this in our lifetime,” said Cathy Metz, director of Durango Parks and Recreation.
The purpose of the bridge is to connect the north end of the Animas River Trail with the northern trail extension, which extends to Oxbow Park and Preserve.
The city has invested more than $20 million in the Animas River Trail, making it a prominent feature in Durango’s award-winning parks and recreation system. A city survey showed 93% of Durango residents use the trail at least once per year.
While funding for the trail connection has been stopped, city planners have retained $175,000 to design the connection. City Council must reauthorize the funding once the project is ready to proceed, Metz said.
“It’s a clear message to the community that we are watching our dollars very carefully and proceeding with capital improvement projects that are ready to go forward now,” she said.
On April 21, parks and rec staff will present three design alternatives during a remote City Council meeting, asking for feedback about the options and direction for next steps.
One option does away with a bridge across the river at 32nd Street. Instead, the Animas River Trail would extend north behind Durango Community Recreation Center on the west side of the river. It would then have a bridge over 32nd Street on the west side of the river.
A second option would have the trail go under 32nd Street from Memorial Park, then loop around to the Emerson-Parks Bridge (32nd Street) or connect with a new pedestrian bridge over the Animas River. That option would require purchasing property, something that has hit snags in the past.
The third option would be the one that sparked controversy earlier this year: a three-part pedestrian bridge that would cross the Animas River, the railroad tracks and 32nd Street.
“If any of these three alternatives look good to the council, then we could then begin more analysis of that alternative,” Metz said.
Community members might question the necessity of any project going forward, Metz said. People have lost their jobs, businesses have closed their doors and budgets are strained.
But when the project is able to move forward, it will help create construction jobs and generate revenue in the local economy, she said.
The city has been working on the northern trail extension, which connects Memorial Park to Oxbow Park and Reserve, since 2008.
“In terms of new trail development, the trail is virtually done with the exception of this crossing,” Metz said.
smullane@durangoherald.com
