Heads up, if you like to walk or run along the Vedder Rotary trail.
A temporary trail is going in soon as a detour around a section of the Vedder River Rotary Trail that is ready for reinforcement.
Rip rap in the form of large boulders, along with new stone stairways going down to the river, will be built this summer along a 600-metre section of the most widely used trail in Chilliwack.
The bank protection project is connected with the new River's Edge project being developed by Canada Lands.
Without reinforcement, the trail could vulnerable to severe damage from future floods, says officials, noting that in 1990, the popular trail was washed away.
"When the work is complete, this section of both the Rotary Trail and the riverbank will meet the highest engineering standard on the river," said Ken Dueck, CLC's director of real estate development.
The alternate trail through the forest will bypass the Rotary Trail while work gets underway during the fisheries work window between now and September 15.
Construction on the riverside trail will begin around August 1, according to the release. It will run between the Vedder River to the south and the CLC's River’s Edge residential community to the north. The work is part of the development agreement with the proponent and City of Chilliwack.
The Vedder trail attracts 180,000 users a year.
Some unstable poplars will be removed to prevent injury to pedestrians or damage to the riverbank. An area not too far from the trail will become a park and include native plants like spruce, fir and wild flowers.
When the work is finished, CLC will replant the alternate trail. There will also be trail access via 'green streets' and linear parks running through River’s Edge. At the other end, the greenways will link to a wood lot park. Follow trail updates at www.Rotarytrailrebuild.com
jfeinberg@theprogress.com
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