Trail through Drake Park to get update, extension

The Bend Park and Recreation District is starting the full design process for its Drake Park bank and trail improvement project.

The district started the project several years ago, planning a trail that runs from Galveston to Portland avenues and encompasses extensions of the Deschutes River Trail.

Part of the project will extend the trail under the Newport Avenue Bridge and through Pacific Park.

The park district also also repair failing seawalls and some of the trail and bank areas, such as the bank where a majority of river floaters get out of the water.

The plan is to have the trail run from the South Canyon Bridge at Farewell Bend Park, through the Old Mill District and through Drake Park. While a trail already exists, it needs maintenance.

Park district Development Director Brian Hudspeth said pedestrians will only have to leave the trail to cross Portland Avenue.

“This will be a multi-modal trail, so not only will this serve as a recreational trail, it’s also going to serve as a transportation corridor, (like) alternate transportation; People on bicycles, people on roller blades, people on whatever they want to get from their house to work, but they don’t want to have to cross public streets, walk down sidewalks, do that kind of stuff,” Hudspeth said. “The trail is separated completely from the road, so it creates an opportunity for people to travel.”

The engineering and design team was approved to finish the full design of the project at Tuesday evening’s park board meeting. That process will last another six to eight months.

The district then will spend about a year going through a permit process. Construction could start as early as the fall or winter of 2019.

For more information: https://www.bendparksandrec.org/project/drake-park-project/