The flash flood of 2018 washed away most of Creekside Trail including the bridges. In fiscal years 2020 and 2021, City Council dedicated the Capital Improvement funds to restore the bridges and the washed out trails. Thank you for your patience while we work to bring back a beloved Lynchburg treasure.
UPDATE MAY 2024
Ivy Creek Bridge on Creekside Trail
Designs for renovation work are being planned for the old Ivy Creek Bridge, near the confluence of Ivy and Blackwater Creeks just north of the terminus of Peninsula Street. The old bridge was reviewed and inspected by Comprehensive Construction Services (CCS), who designed the new downstream bridge as well as the upstream bridge on Blackwater Creek. They performed the initial inspection and provided an extensive report of their findings in May 2023. The existing towers, structure, and anchoring were found to be in good condition overall, and pending some geotechnical work are expected to be found structurally sound.
Due to a retirement in CCS, a team from Whitman, Requardt, and Associates LLP (WRA) picked up the project at the end of May 2023 and performed further inspections and analysis of the existing structure. WRA has made several field visits and has nearly completed designs for the needed repairs. We will be refurbishing the bridge and performing these repairs to the old Ivy Creek Bridge in Summer 2024.
Repairs along the damaged sections of Creekside Trail continue as we expect to open up this section from the trail entrance at Peninsula Street all the way to Elk Trail as soon as the bridge repairs are completed. Creekside Trail remains open to the east of Elk Trail all the way to its terminus at Freer Loop.
Designs for the remaining two pedestrian crossings at Langhorne East and Langhorne West are underway as well, and substantial work has been done on new and relocated sections of Creekside Trail. You can follow the progress of this extensive, multi-million dollar comprehensive project here as updates will continue to be posted.
Creekside, Downstream Swinging Bridge, and Beaver Trail
The long-awaited replacement of the downstream swinging bridge was completed in September 2023 and opened to the public on October 4, 2023. Athens Construction of Richmond, Virginia began construction on July 25, 2022. Whitman-Requardt & Associates (WRA) assisted with construction management and inspections. The bridge was designed by Comprehensive Construction Services in Roanoke, Virginia. A ribbon-cutting was held on October 25, 2023 that was well-attended by the press and the public.
Maintenance of Creekside Trail continued throughout the construction of the downstream bridge. When the bridge was completed, the trail was re-opened all the way from the intersection with Point of Honor Trail to the upstream bridge, located west of Thomson Drive, where it adjoins Freer Loop. The new bridge connects Creekside Trail on the east side with a new section of trail on the west side which joins Beaver Trail at just south of the bridge location.
Beaver Trail has been improved through grading associated with the large-scale Dept. of Water Resources’ Randolph-Savoy sewer project, as well as with new grass and mulch surfacing. The remaining eastern section of Beaver Trail, which includes a pedestrian bridge and new boardwalk, is being re-routed and re-built due to deterioration and flood damage. Once completed, Beaver Trail will be re-opened where it adjoins Blackwater Creek Trail just west of the railroad overpass all the way back to where it adjoins Freer Loop. This work has been scheduled for completion by Fall 2024.
Creekside Trail from Langhorne Rd to Blackwater Creek Athletic Area (BWCAA)
The largest sections of trail that needed to be redesigned and re-routed lie between Hill Street and the Dog Park. Work has progressed from design to easement acquisition in this area. A 350-foot section of the trail north of the Dog Park collapsed and washed away in the Spring 2020. Additional damaged sections continued to deteriorate due to storms in 2021, necessitating substantial re-routing of the foot trail uphill and away from the creek. We are working with CENTRA and the developer of the Belkin property on Langhorne Road to relocate portions of the trail which will take advantage of the picturesque views and varied topography in this area that will provide a beautiful backdrop for views of Blackwater Creek.
In the fall of 2022 and spring of 2023, volunteers assisted in clearing invasive vegetation from a re-routed area on City properties just south of the Dog Park and in an area near the terminus of Tate Springs Road. Additional stream crossings in this area are planned as well. The section between the Dog Park and Hill Street will open when all necessary easements have been obtained for the re-routing, and all work has been completed. Due to the challenging terrain, Creekside Trail will continue to be a walking/hiking trail and is not planned to be paved nor ADA accessible.