The trails at Ada Hayden Heritage Park will close for 10 weeks beginning Monday.
All the hard-surface trails will be closed during construction of a trail improvement project.
Construction: The project includes removing and replacing the 10-foot-wide asphalt trail with a 12-foot-wide concrete path. It also includes replacing the path connections to Edgewater Court, Fletcher Boulevard and Stone Brooke Road.
“I get a little anxious over these projects — well, just like any project — because we want to ensure that we do an excellent job, and make sure that the contractor does a really nice job,” said Joshua Thompson, the city’s parks and facilities superintendent.
Weather permitting, the project should be finished by the end of October.
What’s open: The north parking lot will be open, including the boat ramp, the canoe and kayak launch, the fishing pier, the shelter and the restrooms, Thompson said.
“It’s exciting for us, Ada Hayden is really important to our park system,” he said. “(The) large project is really going to improve quality, it’s going to improve safety, it’s going to be a long-lasting fix.”
Residents and visitors are encouraged to explore other area trails during the closure, including at Inis Grove Park, Moore Memorial Park, River Valley Park, Daley Park and Greenbelt and Munn Woods.
First major construction: The last construction project in the park was more than 20 years ago, when the trails were first built in 2004.
“This is the first major improvement to the park since it opened in ‘04, so just over 20 years,” Thompson said. “We’ve added benches and managed the vegetation since then, but this is the first big project.”
Looking ahead: Thompson said Ames Parks and Recreation will also build a splash pad at Daley Park, which will open next summer. The department will also install new playgrounds, including one at Brookside Park.
“All the playgrounds are going to be installed here this fall, one of which is Brookside Park, which we’re going to commemorate with our 100 year anniversary on Sept. 13,” Thompson said.
