March 10, 2004
Portions of the Luce Line Trail in western Hennepin and eastern Carver counties will be closed for periods of time this spring and summer to permit necessary maintenance and construction on the popular biking and hiking route.
The entire 20-mile segment of the trail from Vicksburg Lane in Plymouth to Watertown will be resurfaced with a new layer of crushed limestone. Ditches along some parts of the trail will also be improved as part of the resurfacing project. Users are asked to stay off portions of the trail that are under construction. The parallel treadway for horseback riding will remail open, but riders are reminded that they are prohibited from the main trail at all times, except when crossing bridges. Work is expected to begin around May 1, with completion targeted for Aug. 31.
The replacement of two bridges as part of highway construction projects.
Construction of a new Hwy. 12 corridor will necessitate removal of the Burlington Northern truss bridge in Long Lake and construction of a new bridge with a longer span. To accommodate that work the trail will be closed.
In Watertown, the Carver County Highway 10 bridge, which passes over the trail, also will be replaced this summer. That portion of the trail will be closed for five to six months beginning in May, but a detour will be provided.
Stretching 63 miles Plymouth to Cosmos, the Luce Line Trail is a popular recreational amenity for people in Hennepin, Carver, McLeod and Meeker counties.
For periodic updates on the status of summer construction as it relates to the trail, users may contact DNR area trails and waterways supervisor Martha Reger at (952) 826-6769.
Return to: News page.