Repairs coming to troubled section of city path; Lawrence Loop soon to be 80 percent complete

Repairs will soon begin on part of this path that runs through the Clinton Lake spillway on the southwest edge of the city. Bicycle accidents have resulted over the years because of slick conditions created by water that sometimes seeps over the path.

Repairs are set to begin on a troublesome stretch of paved city path that has resulted in some bicycle accidents over the years.

The path runs through the Clinton Lake spillway on the southwest edge of the city, including a portion that goes through a marsh area. Water that sometimes seeps over the path can lead to moss growth and slick conditions under the right conditions, said Ernie Shaw, interim director of the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department.

“When water sets there day after day at certain temperatures, then you get that mossy stuff on it that creates a slick spot and can have people on bikes hit it and potentially go down,” Shaw said.

Signs posted along those sections of the path warn that it becomes slick when wet, but there have been some cyclists who have still slid out over the years. Shaw said that the most recent accident was a few weeks ago.

“We had a report of someone who hit it and went down,” Shaw said.

When informed that the path has gotten slick, Shaw said Parks and Recreation Department staff add salt or calcium to combat the moss growth. Staff will also monitor the path during periods of wet and warm weather, he said. Those tactics, though, are on their way out as a 175-foot section of the path will soon be completely removed and rebuilt.

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The replacement of the path will cost about $16,000, Shaw said. After crews cut and remove the problematic portion of path, drainage tubes will be installed to allow water to flow across the area. Concrete for the new path will be poured over the tubes, and the new path will subsequently be six inches higher in elevation than it is now.

Shaw said the hope is to have the spillway path repairs complete before winter, though he noted that work is largely dependent on the weather being dry enough to remove the path and warm enough to pour concrete.

“We want to try to get it done immediately — it’s just weather related,” Shaw said.

The spillway path is one of several multi-use paths that link the city’s inner trails to the Lawrence Loop, which once complete will provide a continuous 22-mile trail around the city. Shaw said a connector path linking Rock Chalk Park to Queens Road has just been finished, and new portions of the loop are also in construction in that area. Those portions should be ready by spring, making the loop about 80 percent complete.

The results of a survey conducted by the department earlier this year indicated that finishing the loop and connector trials is one of the most important parks and recreation items to the public. According to the department’s master plan, the goal is to add more connector paths to under-served areas of the city in coming years. Shaw said the hope is to have the Lawrence Loop complete in the next three to five years, which he said will likely take both city and grant funding.

“We’ve been working on this for about 20 years now, off and on,” he said. “…Now there’s a lot of people on board with that and wanting to see it completed, which is good.”