Great Miami Bikeway closures and detour information
5/16/2013 (UPDATED)
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has temporarily closed the Great Miami River Bikeway in downtown Dayton, as part of the I-75 Modernization (Phase 2) project, effective November 25, 2012. The closures impact the bikeway on BOTH sides of the Great Miami River. ODOT and the City of Dayton will maintain marked detours around the closures to allow for cycling and walking traffic to proceed along the trail route.
 Temporary trail closure at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark
5/13/2012
Due to tree storm damage, the woodland trail adjacent to the prairie at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark is temporarily closed. Signs and barricades are in place. From the north, the trail is open to the South Plaza. All other features are open.

Water availability and seasonal reopenings
5/1/2012 (UPDATED)
As the weather changes and the temperature warms, water availability and other amenties throughout the MetroParks will begin to reopen. Look below for information related to individual locations:
Carriage Hill MetroPark: Drinking fountains have returned to operation.
Englewood MetroPark: North Park is now open 24/7 for fishing access through September and the drinking fountains and flushable restrooms in the East and West parks are now available for public use.
Eastwood MetroPark: Eastwood Lake is now open 24/7 for fishing access through September.
Germantown MetroPark: All hydrants and drinking fountains are now turned back on.
Possum Creek MetroPark: All hydrants and drinking fountains are now turned back on.
Twin Creek MetroPark: Water is avaliable at the Twin Creek Chamberlain Rd parking lot.
Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark: Drinking fountain is back on inside the Children's Discovery Garden.

Mad River Bikeway extension update
4/23/2012 (UPDATED)
Construction on the 3.5-mile extension of the Mad River Bikeway, which will connect Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Wright State University, as well as areas of Riverside and Fairborn, to downtown Dayton and the rest of the bikeway network, is now slated to be completed in late June, 2013. Work on this paved trail began May 18, 2012. Visit our cycling page to learn more about our region’s extensive bikeway network.
If you have questions, please contact Joe Zimmerman at 937-277-4825.

Mad River Run
3/28/2012
Construction on this bank stabilization project began March 26, 2013. The Mad River Run, which will include an improved access site and a kayak and canoe “whitewater” feature on the Mad River within Eastwood MetroPark, is expected to reach completion this fall.
Tree removal must be finished prior to April 1 to avoid disruption of active summer roost trees for the endangered Indiana bat. There will be almost no change to the overall number of trees available as suitable bat habitat. The in-stream work will begin after June 30 in order to avoid negative impacts to fish spawning in the Mad River.
The goal of this project is to be completed in time for the Midwest Outdoor Experience, the largest outdoor recreation festival in the region, which will take place October 4-5, 2013, at Eastwood MetroPark.

2nd Street Market skylight replacement
3/28/2013
The translucent skylights over the vendor areas on the south side of the 2nd Street Market will be replaced. This will eliminate any water leakage through the existing roof/skylight material. On-site construction is expected to begin in August. Work will take place while the Market is closed.
In addition to basic maintenance needs, the selected replacement material will minimize the solar heat gain in the summer, while maximizing the levels of natural light available inside the building. This will help reduce electrical consumption for both cooling and lighting while improving comfort levels and working conditions for the vendors.

Closure and construction at Wesleyan MetroPark
3/28/2013
Wesleyan MetroPark’s play area will be closed while the equipment is removed in April and May. It will be replaced with a new play area, which will include an accessible walkway, climbing structure, swings and nature play features. Volunteers are needed to help build this new facility! If you are interested in lending a hand, contact Volunteer Services Manager Kevin Kepler at kkepler@metroparks.org or (937) 275-PARK (7275).
The new play area is scheduled to be opened for public use around the beginning of July. Look for future development of the landscaping and Wesleyan’s nature play space adjacent to the new play area throughout 2013.

Iron Horse Bikeway alert: ongoing closure near Linden Ave.
3/18/2013 (UPDATED)
A section of the Iron Horse Bikeway near Linden Ave is scheduled to close on Wednesday, March 20, 2013. Traffic on the trail will be detoured (as shown in this PDF) for a maximum of 30 consecutive calendar days. In an effort to minimize the number of days the path is closed, the contractor has been encouraged to open the bike path intermittently whenever possible, especially after work hours and during the weekends.

Changes at Possum Creek MetroPark
2/1/2013
The playground structure near the farm area at Possum Creek MetroPark is being removed. The equipment is old and has become difficult and costly to maintain. An assessment of the play area was conducted and based on safety, cost of repair and quality of visitor experience it was determined that the play equipment should be removed. We are currently in the planning stages for the future use of this area. We apologize for any inconvenience that this change has caused. This site will be updated as further plans are developed. Hiking trails, ponds, community gardens, bridle trails and reservable shelters will remain accessible throughout changes to the farm area.

Invasive plant removal at Possum Creek MetroPark
1/7/2013
A contractor is removing invasive plant material along Infirmary Road at Possum Creek MetroPark. Work will continue until the 20 acre area is completed. The equipment is noisy but the work will not directly impact the horse or hiking trails.

Ongoing gravel path construction at Cox Arboretum MetroPark
12/20/2012
We have removed many of the secondary gravel paths in the Shrub Garden at Cox Arboretum MetroPark. The paths were collectively and individually evaluated for use, aesthetic value, and amount of labor resources to maintain them. Grading and addition of topsoil is complete. Lawn restoration and reseeding will occur during late winter. This project will greatly reduce our herbicide use and labor to keep the old paths weed free and subsequently will present an unobstructed sweep of lawn that will still provide our visitors with access to the plant collections in the area. Construction will continue through Spring/Summer 2013.

Ridge Ave. bridge to be replaced in 2014; Stillwater River Bikeway impacted
12/29/2011
Beginning in 2014, the bridge at the intersection of Ridge Ave and Riverside Drive is due to be replaced by the Ohio Dept. of Transportation. The project is necessary to "address the deteriorated condition of the existing bridge." As requested by the City of Dayton, the new bridge "will include wider sidewalks and a left-turn lane, for improved multi-modal transportation with the region." The construction will impact the Stillwater River Bikeway where it passes underneath Ridge Ave. The following detour plan has been developed by the Miami Conservancy District:
Details regarding 2014-2015 Stillwater River Bikeway detour
The bikeway will be detoured onto the Great Miami River Bikeway, through the Triangle Park parking lot, and onto low traffic surface streets to reconnect with the Stillwater River Bikeway at DeWeese Park. Temporary barricades will be installed in the Trianle Park parking lot to create a dedicated bike path through the parking lot during the detour. The detour may last up to 18 months. |
More information may follow as the plan for this construction progresses.
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