In 2018, a portion of Holmes Run Trail that connects to North Morgan Street was closed due to flooding and severe erosion that undermined stability and integrity of the trail and boardwalk. In 2019, the City received historic flooding, which severely damaged three additional sections of Holmes Run Trail, including two bridge structures.  

Design & Construction Funding Approved: $7,200,000

• FY 2021: $6,000,000
• FY 2023: $1,200,000

The damaged sections of trail are currently not safe to use and have been closed to the public. The Approved FY2021 Capital Improvement Program includes funding to restore the trail. Restoring all portions of the trail will be a major undertaking. The City appreciates the community’s patience as it works to plan, fund, design, and construct the trail repairs. In the meantime, trail users are asked to use the detour routes shown in the maps below and follow appropriate warning signage. It is anticipated that substantial completion on all four sections will not occur until summer/fall 2024.

• Download the Trail Detour and Closure Informational Signage

The Holmes Run Trail Repair Project includes several different sections of the Holmes Run Trail that were damaged by flooding. Some repairs are more complex than others and require additional design and engineering to fix. The project areas are shown on the map below and are divided into three tiers. Additional details for each tier can be found in the following sections.

Tier 1 repairs are the most complex and costly to complete due to the structural damage caused by recent floods. Unfortunately, these are not quick fixes, and substantial civil and structural engineering is required to ensure these repairs are sustainable and not subject to damage by future flood events. These include the following areas:

Tier 1 Repairs:

• Tier 1 Projects:
  • Holmes Run Trail at Dora Kelly Park
  • Holmes Run Trail Bridge at Morgan Street cul-de-sac
  • Holmes Run Trail at North Ripley Street

• Funded: Yes
• Design: Procurement complete; contract awarded, Notice to Proceed issued in February 2022
• Construction Start: Anticipated summer/fall 2023 
• Substantial Completion: Anticipated summer/fall 2024

Tier 2 Repairs:

Tier 2 repairs still require design to complete, but are less complex and costly than Tier 1 projects.

• Tier 2 Projects: 
  • Holmes Run Trail Bridge at 4600 Duke Street
• Funded: Yes
• Design: Design awarded - Additional damage at the 4600 Duke/Jordan St. crossing resulting from the significant rain events on August 15, 2021 and August 20, 2021 required the removal and replacement of the existing bridge and the northern bridge abutment. Design of the replacement bridge is anticipated to be complete in August 2022.
• Construction: Demolition of current bridge was completed October 2021 and interim bank stabilization competed in February 2022. Bridge replacement is anticipated in fall 2022/winter 2023.

TIER 3 INTERIM IMPROVEMENTS:

Tier 3 includes minor repairs to Holmes Run Trail as well as interim improvements to minimize the impact of the trail closures and help the community navigate the trail system while major repairs are underway. Below is a list of Tier 3 projects and their status.  

• July 2018: Damage occurs to Holmes Run Trail in Dora Kelly Park. Access to Holmes Run Trail remains from North Beauregard Street.
• July 2019: Region receives historic flooding, and damage occurs to three additional areas of Holmes Run Trail. These sections of trail are closed for public safety.
• Fall 2019: City staff requests $6 million in funding for design and construction in upcoming budget (Fiscal Year 2021-2030) to repair Tier 1 & 2 repairs.
• February 2020: Start of COVID-19 pandemic. City pivots to respond to public health emergency.
• May 2020: $6 million in funding is approved for Tier 1 & 2 repairs in the FY 2021-2030 budget.
• July 2020: Funding that was budgeted for FY 2021 becomes available. City procurement is focused on the COVID-19 response. Staff prepares bid documents for design for Tier 1 repairs. Decision is made to address the bridge repair at 4600 Duke Street separately from the Tier 1 repairs due to less damage and potential for faster remediation.
• Fall 2020: Procurement activities begin for Tier 1 and Tier 2 repairs.
• Winter 2021: Design for Tier 2 repairs is complete, and construction contract is advertised.
• Late Winter 2021: Design contract is advertised for Tier 1 repairs.
• Summer 2021: Design contract awarded for Tier 2 repair. Design scope adjusted following August 2021 rain event.
• February 2022: Design contract and Notice to Proceed awarded for Tier 1 repairs.
• May/June 2022: Design for Tier 2 repair anticipated to be complete
• October 2022/November: Award contract for Tier 2 repairs
• April/May 2023: Complete Tier 2 repairs
• February 2023: Design anticipated to be complete for Tier 1 repairs. Construction procurement to begin.
• Spring/Summer 2023: Construction contract(s) awarded for Tier 1 repairs.
• Summer/Fall 2024: Tier 1 repairs anticipated to be completed.

Note: schedule is subject to change

• July 28, 2021 Community Meeting
  • Presentation
• September 2, 2021
  • Holmes Run Trail Repairs Stakeholder Group email #1
• September 17, 2021
  • Holmes Run Trail Repairs Stakeholder Group email #2
• November 17, 2021
  • Holmes Run Trail Repairs Stakeholder Group email #3
• February 10, 2022
  • Holmes Run Trail Repairs Stakeholder Group email #4
• March 2, 2022
  • Holmes Run Trail Repairs Stakeholder Group email #5
• March 15, 2022
  • Holmes Run Trail Repairs Stakeholder Group email #6
• May 6, 2022
  • Holmes Run Trail Repairs Stakeholder Group email #7
• May 16, 2022
  • Holmes Run Trail Repairs Stakeholder Group email #8
    • May 24, 2022 Holmes Run Trail Repair Project Community Meeting #2 Announcement
    • Meeting Presentation
• June 10, 2022
  • Holmes Run Trail Repairs Stakeholder Group email #9
• October 25, 2022
  • Holmes Run Trail Repairs Stakeholder Group email #10

Q: Why have portions of Holmes Run Trail been closed?
A: Portions of the trail have been closed due to severe damage from flooding that occurred in 2018 and 2019.

Q: The damage to the trail and bridges doesn’t appear to be very severe. Why can’t the City repair it sooner?
A: While some of the damage may appear superficial, the 2018 and 2019 flood events completely undermined the trail base and caused significant erosion around the trail. The flooding also undermined the structural integrity of the two bridges. The City will need to study how the flood impacted Holmes Run and determine how the trail, bridges, and slopes should be modified/stabilized to minimize potential damage from future flood events.

Q: Is funding available to restore the trail?
A: Yes. As part of the FY2021-FY2030 Approved Capital Improvement Program (CIP), $6 million was allocated to repairing Holmes Run Trail. $1 million is available for design in FY2021, and the remaining $5 million is available beginning in FY2022.

Q: What is the timeline for repairs?
A: Timelines vary on different parts of the trail depending on the level of complexity of the restoration. Design work for the Tier 2 repairs is complete and is expected to be implemented in 2021. For the Tier 1 areas, the damage is more severe and will require more time to address. The City is currently procuring a design contract for the Tier 1 repairs.

Q: What is the best way to get updates on this project?
A: The best way to get updates on the status of the trail repairs is to visit this webpage. Updates will be posted as they occur. Residents may also subscribe to the City’s eNews service .