Erosion closes Great Miami River bike trail at Crains Run

The Great Miami River Trail south of Crains Run Park will be closed for several days starting Tuesday while crews repair trail erosion. COURTESY of MIAMI CONSERVANCY DISTRICT

The Great Miami River Trail south of Crains Run Park will be closed for several days starting Tuesday while crews repair trail erosion. COURTESY of MIAMI CONSERVANCY DISTRICT

A section of the Great Miami River Recreation Trail in Franklin will be closed for several days beginning Tuesday while crews repair erosion damage.

The roughly two-mile section runs south from Crains Run Park to Jackson Street in Franklin.

“We understand this is a heavily used section of the trail and that this closure is disruptive,” said Sarah Heppensteel Hall, manager of communications for the Miami Conservancy District. “However, addressing erosion quickly is critical to public safety, protecting the trail and surrounding infrastructure.”

That section of trail can see between 50 and 75 people a day during good weather, according to the Conservancy District.

Heppensteel Hall said recent high water events over the last several weeks likely contributed to the erosion, prompting the district to make emergency repairs.

Conservancy District crews will repair a section along the riverbank near a wooden fence. Signs will be posted above and below the closed section of the trail to give bikers and hikers time to turn around.

There is no official detour for the closed area.

The trail will be completely closed when trucks and other heavy equipment are moving on the trail.

Heppensteel Hall said several large dump trucks worth of materials will need to be brought onto the trail itself to make the repairs.

She said weather and other factors could impact the project timeframe, but said it will last “a minimum of a couple days.”

Crains Run Nature Park is a 34-acre park featuring woodlands, hiking trails, a four-acre fishing pond, and picnic areas with views of the Great Miami River.

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