SIOUX CITY — A flood-damaged section of riverfront trail near Interstate 29, closed and barricaded since last summer, will not be open to joggers and cyclists when the weather gets warm again this spring. Nor for quite a while after that. Jessica Felix, District 3 engineer for the Iowa Department of Transportation, said the closed section of Chris Larsen Park Trail, west of the boat ramp, could re-open late this summer or in the early fall, but that depends on efforts to shore up the damaged riverbank.
The trail in some spots runs very close to the banks of the Missouri River and Big Sioux River, and was dangerously undermined by floodwaters last June. "We're right now trying to assess what the permanent repair will be," Felix told The Journal this week. The extended closure has been a challenge for some users of the city's trail network, which is essentially severed between Riverside and the rest of the city.
"I think everybody's disappointed, because it's such a key link for getting around town," said Bob DeSmidt, longtime cyclist and board member of the Siouxland Trails Foundation. "However, I think everybody's pretty understanding about it, too. I mean, we understand the flood happened, and it did some pretty serious damage.
" Chris Larsen Park trail A City of Sioux City crew work to remove dirt at a site along the Chris Larsen Park Trail Tuesday. Sections of the trail were damaged during last summer's flooding, and it will remain closed for quite some time. DeSmidt said.