FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2021
Contact: Matt Mihalevich
Trails Coordinator
Engineering Division
479-444-3416
mmihalevich@fayetteville-ar.gov
Section of the Razorback Greenway to be Closed for Tunnel Improvements
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.— Improvements to the Razorback Greenway Trail tunnel under the Fulbright Expressway will begin next week. Construction requires periodic closing of the trail to all bicyclist and pedestrian traffic at the tunnel. Barricades will be placed across the trail during times of active construction, but the trail will be open to the public at off-work times. Please note that inclement weather and temperatures could delay the project schedule.
- February 1 and 2 – expected closure dates for concrete work
- Week of February 8 – expected closure dates for painting
Trail users should look for detour signs and use extreme caution when crossing Futrall and Shiloh Drives. Button-activated walk signals are located on signal poles adjacent to crosswalks. Warning signs will remind motorists, especially when turning, to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. Bicyclists are encouraged to dismount and walk bikes across the crosswalk to enjoy the legal protections of pedestrians. By state law, bicyclists riding through a crosswalk do not have the legal right of way. Police presence will be increased for the enforcement of the crosswalks in this area.
Ensuring a dry trail and tunnel at his location has been a most requested trail improvement from the public over the years. This tunnel—a 10-foot-tall by 10-foot-wide concrete box culvert—was originally installed to divert stormwater. When the culvert was converted for trail use in 2008, the tunnel remained wet due to its original purpose and design. Enhancements will control water seepage and create a dry trail surface. A new elevated concrete floor with proper slope for drainage will be installed and the tunnel’s interior walls will be painted.
This improvement project is funded by a $88,000 Recreational Trails Program grant from the Arkansas Department of Transportation. To learn more about Fayetteville’s Trail Construction Program, please visit this www.fayetteville-ar.gov/trails.
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