City celebrates greenway connection at County Line Road

City staff and city council members gathered to commemorate the completion of Spring Gulch #2 Greenway on September 14. 

Deputy City Manager Dale Rademacher opened the commemoration with thanks to the attendees, along with the staff that made the project possible. Rademacher said what made these projects different from similar projects in the past was the connection between the roadway improvements, multi-modal transportation considerations and recreational concerns.

“What you’re seeing is a transition in our engineering division on how they approach these types of projects, which I think is going to be a more sustainable approach for the city in the long run,” Rademacher said.

The drainage and trail improvement project connects northeast Longmont from Union Reservoir to Stephen Day Park and Jim Hamm Nature Area, providing an underpass for walkers and cyclists to travel safely under County Line Road between Ninth and 17th avenues.

Additionally, infrastructure improvements on County Line Road have added on-street bike lanes, new left-turn lanes along the road and sidewalks on the west side of County Line between Ninth and 17th avenues to improve the safe flow of traffic.

The improved infrastructure and trail system also includes five acres of wetlands. The final landscaping, including planting trees and shrubs, seeding native grasses and plantings and other wetland restorations. City crews will continue to make sure stormwater control measures and irrigation are maintained, utilizing sediment logs and silt fencing to contain the flow of water. According to Rademacher, the work on the trail, drainage and road improvements will enhance long-term resilience and sustainability should another major flood occur. 

Longmont Public Works and Natural Resources Civil Engineer Ariel Retuta was the most recent project manager for the Spring Gulch #2 trail, stepping in eight months prior. Retuta called it a huge improvement to connectivity and increasing recreational improvements for Longmont residents.

Mayor Brian Bagley spoke briefly on the project, recognizing the valuable work that has been done on the greenway trail system and waterways during his ten years of public service in Longmont. Bagley then turned the microphone over to Dr. Tim Waters, city council representative for Longmont’s Ward 1 and mayoral candidate in the November election, where the work took place.

Waters acknowledged the work accomplished during his tenure, remarking on the 11 year journey of this project and the adaptive response to the 2013 flood.

“This is a testament to persistence and staying with it,” Waters said. “To those who wonder what we do for infrastructure investments and how that money manifests in options and safety for the community, this is a great example. What was invested here really does serve generations of Longmonters, not just now but for years to come.”