Trail construction halfway complete
DECATUR — Work continued on the new walking trail at Veterans Park in as crews from Oelke Construction Company raced to finish the mile-long path by the end of spring.
As of March 26, the trail from the disc golf parking lot to the northeast end of Veterans Park has been concreted, with the exception of the curve on the northwest corner and two 50-foot sections on the north side of the park. These three areas have the foundation layer in place and are awaiting concrete.
The remainder of the trail has yet to be cut out and the foundation rock laid down.
In the coming weeks, the walking trail will be tied into the existing walking track that surrounds the old youth soccer practice field near the veterans’ monument and memorial Christmas tree. The path will run along the north and west sides of Pat Drive until it turns on the southern side of the park and makes the turn west for the final leg of the construction.
Since a lot of residents use the track and playground equipment, city officials are concerned about the possibility of injury during the construction phase.
Mayor Bob Tharp and James Boston, Decatur’s public works director, ask that anyone using the playground equipment, track and drive along Pat Drive use caution when in and around these work areas.
Work in these areas is expected to be completed sometime around the end of April, barring any unforeseen weather delays.
Soon the walking trail, which has been five years in the making, will be complete and residents and visitors alike will have a safe place to exercise or simply take a healthy walk through one of Decatur’s most beautiful parks. And don’t forget that the city of Decatur sports six other facilities that make up the park system. Old City Park, McCollum, Johnson, Edmiston, Compton and Crystal Lake parks all have something unique to offer area residents and visitors coming to Northwest Arkansas.