Boulder County, Colo. – Boulder County recently received approval of a $4.4 million federal grant that will extend the Boulder Creek Path from its current terminus at Four Mile Creek to the start of the Betasso Valley Trail farther west on Boulder Canyon Drive/CO Hwy 119. City of Boulder and Boulder County staff are working together to plan and design the trail, and will split the local match requirement.

The planned extension of the Boulder Creek Path in Boulder Canyon will result in a 10-foot-wide crusher fine path all the way from downtown Boulder to Boulder County Parks and Open Space’s network of trails in Betasso Preserve. It will also allow visitors to connect with City of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks Department’s trails that are accessible from Chapman Drive. Construction is anticipated to start in 2016.

“The Boulder Creek Path extension will increase safety for everyone using the canyon, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike, which is the priority for Boulder County Transportation,” said George Gerstle, director of Boulder County’s Transportation Department. “The project also shows how governments can work together to create something great that can be used by everyone. I’d like to thank Boulder Open Space and Mountain parks and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) for their contributions to the project.”

“Boulder-area residents have long sought this path extension, and we’ve been working hard with Boulder County to make it happen,” added Mike Patton, director of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks Department. “Once it is completed, it will give Boulder-area residents a convenient route to connect with the county and the city’s incredible public landscapes and help ensure the safety of bikers heading up Boulder Canyon.”

In 2011, the city’s Open Space and Mountain Parks Department and the county’s Transportation Department completed a study to determine feasibility and approximate costs of the trail extension. This study was used to determine possible grant sources.

In 2013, Boulder County Transportation applied for a Responsible Acceleration of Maintenance Partnerships (RAMP) grant, administered by the Colorado Department of Transportation to pay for the path extension.

For more information, contact Andrew Barth with Boulder County Transportation at 303-44-1032 or abarth@bouldercounty.org, or Phillip Yates with the city’s Open Space and Mountain Parks Department at 303-441-3440 or yatesp@bouldercolorado.gov.