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Dogwalkers make their way along the Animas River Trail behind Rank Park on Wednesday. The City will be tackling this section of the popular thoroughfare next, replacing the worn-out asphalt with more resilient concrete./Photo by Stephen Eginoire
Finishing touches With Oxbow complete, City turns to missing pieces of ART by Jonathan Romeo
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ecades ago, the Animas River Trail was envisioned to become the centerpiece of the city of Durango’s trail system, both for recreation and commuting around town. Now, those efforts are on the verge of realization. Following on the heels of the longawaited connection of the north end of the trail to Oxbow Park & Preserve last year, the City of Durango has planned over the next few months some finishing touches for the popular travel corridor. This summer, construction is expected to start on a multi-million dollar pedestrian bridge at 32nd Street, which will effectively remove the last crossing that requires River Trail users to contend with car traffic. Then, later this fall, the deteriorating asphalt section of trail between Rank Park and the Demon Pedestrian Bridge will be
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removed and replaced with a wider, upgraded concrete path. And, finally, by 2023, the lofty vision to link the south end of the Animas River Trail to the Smart 160 Trail, connecting the city of Durango to the burgeoning Three Springs area to the east, should start to become a reality. Once finished, people will be able to ride from Oxbow Park to Three Springs, a more than 10-mile journey, uninterrupted. “It’s been a long time coming,” Anthony Savastano, who serves on the city’s Parks and Recreation board, said. “I can’t think of too many towns that have something that expansive. It’s a remarkable thing to have accomplished.” Laying the groundwork The earliest sections of what would become the Animas River Trail started in 1976 when city crews installing sewer and water lines took the occasion to lay down
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a trail segment from 29th Street to Demon Bridge. In the years following, more sections were added as opportunity arose, such as the strip from Demon Bridge to Rank Park in 1979, and Highway 160 to Santa Rita Park in 1980. But these efforts were significantly accelerated by a 2005 and 2015 sales tax increase dedicated for recreation projects. Today, the Animas River Trail stretches nearly 9 miles from its northern reaches at Oxbow Park to Dallabetta Park, near Home Depot in south Durango. Following the Animas River, the trail is inundated daily with walkers, joggers, cyclists, commuters, anglers, and rafters and kayakers, as well as people just enjoying a picnic along the river banks. In essence, it comprises a whole smorgasbord of Colorado outdoor activities. A recent survey found an estimated 95% of Durango 4
