Cracks on the Great Western Trail will be repaired after 3 years on the priority list
A section of the Great Western Trail from north of Orilla to Des Moines' south side is set to be repaired after three years on the priority list.
Repairs to the trail were first listed as a priority project in 2021, according to an agenda from the Polk County Conservation Board. The board finally approved the project earlier this month.
Its focus is on repairing large cracks in a series of patches from County Line Road, which is just north of The Chicken restaurant in Orilla, to George Flagg Parkway near the southside Jethro's. The section of trail through Willow Creek Golf Course will be replaced with a concrete trail.
Jessica Lown, community outreach supervisor for Polk County Conservation, said the quality of the trail varies.
"The trail is very long," she said, adding that for the project that's just been announced "the number one problem is cracking."
The Great Western Trail spans 19 miles from Martensdale to Des Moines, though the focus of this project is the portion that runs through Polk County.
The construction contract is $569,262. It will be paid for with the Water & Land Legacy Bond, a $65 million pool of money voters approved in 2022 to use on conservation, recreation and water quality projects countywide.
Work is planned to begin late this summer and be completed in the fall. Some sections will be closed for the work, but Polk County Conservation staff requested that only two sections at a time be closed.
Ryan Magalhães is a reporter for the Register. Reach them at rmagalhaes@dmreg.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Great Western Trail from Orilla to Des Moines gets repaired this year
