An underpass that connects Boulder Canyon Trail to the Chapman Drive Trailhead also will be closed for approximately three months as part of area trailhead improvement work
The City of Boulder will close the Chapman Drive Trailhead and a short section of the Boulder Canyon Trail starting as early as Monday, March 3, to construct a new bridge connecting the Boulder Canyon Trail to a significantly improved Chapman Drive Trailhead, which will feature upgraded amenities for visitors.
OSMP will need to close a recently constructed underpass that connects the Boulder Canyon Trail to the Chapman Drive Trailhead for approximately three months to install the new bridge, weather permitting. A closure at the Chapman Drive Trailhead to complete trailhead improvements is expected to extend further in the summer. View a map of the closure area.
However, the Chapman Drive Trail and the existing vehicle bridge from the highway and Chapman Drive Trail to the west will remain open throughout the project. Boulder Canyon Trail – except for the underpass near Chapman Drive Trailhead, which will be closed this spring to install a new bridge – also will remain open. View a map of the closures. Learn more about area access and view a map through our project webpage.
OSMP will work to complete the bridge as quickly as possible to minimize the length of the underpass closure. Work on the bridge is the first phase of Chapman Trailhead improvement work and OSMP plans to complete bridge installation this spring – sometime in May or early June – before the busy bicycling summer season.
Chapman Drive Trailhead and a short stretch of Boulder Canyon Trail are closed for construction impacting access between Chapman Drive and Boulder Canyon Trail.
As part of Chapman Drive Trailhead-area improvements, City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP), in partnership with Boulder County, will install a new pedestrian bridge over Boulder Creek, linking the Boulder Canyon Trail to the Chapman Drive Trailhead. This bridge will provide a separate, safer route for cyclists, hikers, and equestrians. OSMP also will enhance trailhead vehicle and trailer parking, increase the number of bike racks, and add a new picnic table.
The new pedestrian bridge and Chapman Drive Trailhead improvements are the final phase of a long-term collaboration between the City of Boulder, Boulder County, and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to enhance recreational opportunities in Boulder Canyon and along the Boulder Canyon Trail. Earlier work by CDOT extended the Boulder Canyon Trail to Chapman Drive added two new bike-friendly tunnels under the Highway 119 in Boulder Canyon – including a new underpass near the Chapman Drive Trailhead.
Learn more about the Chapman Drive Trailhead project.
Need for New Bridge
For many years, a new trail bridge to meet multi-use path standards along Highway 119 in Boulder Canyon has been included in the project to provide a trail experience fully separated from vehicles, not unlike the current multi-use path project along Highway 119 from Boulder to Longmont.
The bridge installation is the final phase of the decade-long transportation improvement project in Boulder Canyon after the 2013 flood and envisioned in 2016 by Boulder County and CDOT to connect the Boulder Canyon Trail, managed by Boulder County, to the City’s Chapman Drive Trail that connects to Flagstaff Road. You can view the county’s project page, including design plans from 2017.
The city’s Chapman Trailhead on OSMP property was identified for improvement in the West Trail Study Area Plan in 2011, and when City and County staff identified the recent construction timeline, Boulder County staff provided funding to include the trail bridge into the City’s trailhead project to find cost efficiencies in construction as well as minimize disruption to visitors and the neighbors in the area with only one construction project instead of two separate projects at different times.
OSMP appreciates the community’s patience as we undertake major improvements at the Chapman Drive, Marshall Mesa, and Sawhill Ponds Trailheads, which require temporary closures. The city encourages visitors to explore alternative destinations at OSMPTrails.org.
This press release has been updated to include additional information clarifying trail access for the upcoming Chapman Drive Trailhead project and the bridge.