Nine years after pedestrian bridges along the Old Carriage Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio were closed for safety, a project to repair the bridges and restore the trail is underway.

Old Carriage Trail is a 3.5-mile-loop that is accessed from the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, between Red Lock and Station Road Trailhead in Sagamore Hills. The three 150-160 foot pedestrian bridges along the trail were closed in 2009 due to safety issues from unexpectedly rapid deterioration. 

The National Park Service recently awarded a $1,320,500 contract to complete restoration of the trail. Contractors are removing some trees and demolishing deteriorating bridges. A re-routing of the trail and bridge replacement will be completed later in 2018.

For public safety, the Old Carriage Trail will be closed throughout the project and the Old Carriage Connector Trail will be closed during construction hours, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday to Friday. Visitors can access the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail from the connector trail after hours and on weekends.  

PPW Builders, Inc. of Cleveland was awarded the contract. PPW Builders is also the prime contractor on another project ongoing in CVNP, replacing four bridges along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.

Funding for the Old Carriage Trail project comes from entrance fees collected at national parks through the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act. This funding is helping CVNP to complete a long-standing deferred maintenance project that would not have otherwise been possible.

The first step in the restoration process is removing trees to accommodate a re-routing of the trail and access for construction vehicles. The park is working closely with Greenwood Village Community Association in Sagamore Hills to create a new route for the trail that will only involve replacement of one out of the three failing bridges, which significantly reduces the cost of getting this trail open for the public.

“We know that people have been waiting for years for this trail to re-open completely. This would not be possible without the cooperation and assistance of the Greenwood Village Community Association. We appreciate their partnership on this project” said Cuyahoga Valley Superintendent Craig Kenkel.

Visitors can expect to see and hear activity very soon, as the contractor has nearly completed marking trees for removal. Care is being taken to remove as few trees as possible, and especially to protect large canopy trees.  Bridge demolition is expected to take place in the spring. Work is highly weather-dependent, so a precise timeline is unknown, a park release said.

Replacing the Twin Oaks bridge and rerouting of the trail is expected later in 2018. The re-route will eliminate the need for the Hemlock and Rocky Run bridges.