I read with interest the Herald article of 27 July regarding plans for improvements to the Durango trail system.
I was amazed at the numbers given for the costs of such replacement and ask that your reporter go back to the city and request a little clarification.
For instance, the article cites officials saying that $800,000 is reserved for replacement of 1,200 linear feet of eight-foot wide trail. This comes to over $600 a linear foot.
Furthermore, the article cites that the city is going to spend $7.2 million for one mile of 12-foot trailway. I just looked at some recent figures for construction costs of two-lane concrete roadways in rural areas – that’s 24-feet wide – and it comes in at about $2.5 million per mile. Using construction standards for roadways instead of trails (a higher order of construction specs), one should be able to construct one mile of 12-foot trail for $1.25 million, or about $230 a linear foot. That’s a long way from the $600 per linear foot given by city officials.
Lastly, if the city sticks to its figures, where do I send my bid?
James Newman
Bayfield
