ROGERS -- A week after the city opened a new trail, officials are working to rebuild a rest stop damaged by a single-car accident.
The Police Department received a call from a bicyclist about 6:28 a.m. Monday, according to police records. The person said there was an abandoned Toyota Corolla on the trail near the intersection of Promenade Boulevard and Oliver Drive.
The owner initially reported the car stolen, but video surveillance showed the owner was driving the car, police officials said. The accident is under investigation, officials said.
Nathan Becknell, city engineer, said the one-car wreck caused about $11,000 in damage to the trail that opened Aug. 24. A masonry bench, concrete pad and landscaping was damaged, he said. The trail will remain open as the damage is fixed, he said.
"As we build some of these newer trails, we are trying to build nice locations for people to stop and rest and have a nice view," Becknell said. "This is one of those areas."
The $560,000 trail connects to the Razorback Greenway, Becknell said. It stretches about 3,500 feet between Promenade Boulevard and Oak Street, he said. Construction started on the trail in January.
The trail also is a part of a northern trail loop the city is constructing in phases, Becknell said. Another $710,000 portion between Walnut Street and Oak Street is under construction and could be completed by the end of the year.
The Walton Family Foundation awarded the city a $1.8 million matching grant for design and construction of the two portions of the trail.
A contract for trail construction is still open as the contractor continues to clean the recently completed trail site, Becknell said. The city will most likely change the contract allowing the contractor to rebuild the rest stop, he said.
Becknell said money to fix the trail will likely have to come out of the Street Department's reserve.
Misty Murphy, Northwest Arkansas Council trail director, said rest stops are an important piece of trail infrastructure.
"On our trail surveys, people always say that they want more benches on trails," Murphy said. "It is among the top five things that people want."
Rest areas make trails accessible to more people, Murphy said. For example, families with small children can use the rest stops for breaks while using the trails, she said.
"I think the city of Rogers has been really good at implementing those amenities as they build the trail and not just as an after thought," Murphy said.
NW News on 09/03/2015