A two-mile section of the Interurban Trail used by bicyclists, walkers and runners will be closed until September because of earth-moving work at the future site of Scheels Sports Park at Legacy Pointe.
The closure is needed because contractors are removing dirt from the north side of the site and using it to raise the height of athletic fields being constructed throughout the 95-acre sports park so drainage problems can be avoided in the future.
That's according to Steve Walker, a co-owner of Martin Engineering Co., which is working for Legacy Pointe Development in the joint partnership between landowners and Springfield city government to complete the $67 million project.
"I know we're being a little disruptive," Walker said. But he said the long-term economic benefits to the community will be worth the inconvenience for users of the asphalt trail extending 8.3 miles from Wabash Avenue in Springfield to Walnut Street in Chatham.
Various sections of the public trail are owned by Springfield city government, the Springfield Park District and the village of Chatham.
The closure, affecting a Springfield-owned section, began in late May, Walker said. Barricades have been erected on the north side of the closed section near where West Centre Street crosses Old MacArthur Boulevard, and at the south end where the trail goes under MacArthur.
Some trail users have disregarded the barricades, which could create hazards for them if they encounter the heavy equipment moving dirt across the trail for up to eight hours each weekday, Walker said. No injuries have been reported.
The closure, currently marked by signs, wasn't a surprise and was part of documents signed and approved by city officials, Walker said.
Any damage to the trail will be repaired before the trail section reopens sometime in September, he said.
Cyclists and pedestrians can use the sidewalk on the west side of MacArthur to bypass the closed section, Walker said. Detour signs directing trail users to the sidewalk have been ordered and should arrive and be in place in a few weeks, he said.
The sports park, catering to traveling youth sports teams and local public school athletes, is on track to be partially operational sometime in 2025 and fully operational in 2026, Walker said.
The park is expected to attract about 250,000 visitors to Springfield each year and increase visitors overall by at least 10% to 15% after the first year of operation as the city strives to become a regional hub for sports-related tourism.
Anne Schroll, president of the Springfield Bicycle Club, said she wasn't aware how long the trail closure near the sports park would last until informed by an Illinois Times reporter.
She said reactions to the closure from the club's almost 400 members have been mixed.
"It was a surprise," she said. "It wasn't communicated well."
Some trail users have thrown closure signs in nearby ditches out of frustration, she said. "There's this mentality that, 'It doesn't apply to me,'" Schroll said.
Apparently in response to those who have disregarded the signs, an unknown person has spray-painted "Keep out – this means you – bike trail closed" on the pavement in front of one of the barricades.
Some cyclists didn't realize the sidewalk along MacArthur was an option as a detour, so the signs will be helpful once they arrive, Schroll said.
Dean Olsen is a senior staff writer at Illinois Times. He can be reached at 217-679-7810, [email protected] or twitter.com/DeanOlsenIT.
