City Council approves $100,000 for Keystone Trail upgrade
Omaha's City Council has approved a $100,000 project to upgrade one of the city's biggest jogging trails, the Keystone Trail.
Omaha's City Council has approved a $100,000 project to upgrade one of the city's biggest jogging trails, the Keystone Trail.
Omaha's City Council has approved a $100,000 project to upgrade one of the city's biggest jogging trails, the Keystone Trail.
Omaha's City Council has approved a $100,000 project to upgrade one of the city's biggest jogging trails, the Keystone Trail.
Currently, many of the retaining walls along the trail look like the one near 72nd & Cass streets. They are rotted, missing pieces and are not safe.
"These railroad ties have been here for about 20 years and they're obviously eroding. And there is a stabilization issue here for sure," said District 1 City Councilman Pete Festersen.
After a unanimous vote by City Council members, the old cedar ties will be replaced with concrete fixtures for a longer-lasting, permanent solution.
This is a change joggers said they will appreciate.
"I'm on that probably an hour when I'm doing my longer runs, so it's nice to hear that the city's prioritizing that," said Jake Weber, a local jogger.
Organizers said construction will start in April or May and will last up to a couple of months.
"It will be closed off. So there'll be some short-term pain for long-term gain here," said Festersen.
According to the Parks and Recreation Department, other areas of the Keystone Trail are in line to see upgrades as well. The department expects to complete one or two upgrades per year. So far, the concrete retaining wall near 72nd and Pacific streets is the only other project of this size that has already been completed.