Taking this opportunity for a late-Summer update about the Miami Valley Trails to make everyone aware of the many projects and detours going on along and above the trails. The detours and projects right now are all centered on Dayton in Montgomery County and also the Creekside and Iron Horse Trails in Dayton and Riverside. Here’s a rundown of the major projects:
Third Street Bridge Replacement. The Third Street Bridge, also known as the Peace Bridge, spans the Great Miami River and the Great Miami River Trail on both banks. During the project the Great Miami River Trail is closed. It is actually missing in sections – so don’t try it! During the project, expected to last until Fall of 2021, there is a posted detour using the bikelanes and shared lanes through Downtown Dayton. Please see our trail alert for this detour for a downloadable map of the detour routes. Believe it or not, this detour even has a detour as Jefferson Street is being rebuilt at this time as well. Use Wilkinson as a north-bound alternative.
Creekside and Iron Horse Trails in Riverside and Dayton.
Five Rivers MetroParks has begun a monthlong project to re-hab these trails including crack sealing and tree root clearing. There will also be improvements made for safety at road crossings. The project will be done in sections, and detours are posted. See our alert on this project for downloadable maps of the suggested detours. Project work has begun as of August 17, 2020. The photo at the top is on the Iron Horse Trail at Linden Avenue.
Deeds Point Bridge. The bridge near RiverScape MetroPark across the Mad River to Deeds Point has been closed for over a year, but now the project work begins to replace it! The first stage will be the removal of the old bridge and that will result in closures needed from time to time on the Mad River Trail below the bridge. The current detour using the Webster Street Bridge will remain in place and signed (see the alert here). There will be a periodic need for a detour along Monument Avenue, and that detour is described and mapped at this alert. Please note, the detour along Monument Avenue has sections without sidewalks, and is not ideal for pedestrians.
These projects represent a significant investment in the long term maintenance of the Miami Valley Trails. They trade off current, temporary inconvenience for better safety and accessibility for many years to come.
All of the Miami Valley Trails alerts are posted on the Trail Information page on the Miami Valley Trails web site. Keep that link handy to check on future projects along other trails.
