Fairfield Loop Trail gets upgrades

FAIRFIELD — As the weather warms up and more people get a chance to use Fairfield’s Loop Trail, they may notice a number of changes.

One of the most significant renovations along the trail occurred at the Spillway Bridge by Pleasant Lake on the north side of town. Volunteers replaced all the floor boards and the hand rails last fall, everything except the beams. Volunteers who worked on the project included Kent Rice, Ed Malloy, Jim Scherman, A.J. Steiner, Dick Arnold, Brian Stains, Ken Malloy, Stephen Pedrick, David Cohen and Kathy Peck.

The north portion of the Fairfield Loop Trail sports new rock courtesy of a grant from Wellmark and a grant from the Greater Jefferson County Foundation. Pedrick, chairman of the Jefferson County Trails Council, said that project began last fall and still is in progress, though it’s expected to finish this spring. The portion of the trail that is getting new rock stretches 5 miles from Walton Lake on the east side to Brookville Road on the west side.

In late April, the bridge near Brookville Road received some repairs. A concrete slab was also laid on the east side of the road, eliminating ruts made by vehicle traffic that made it difficult for bikes to cross.

Trail users can also expect to see new trail markets being put in this summer. Pedrick said the trails council installed trail markers early in the trail’s life, dating back to the 1990s, and now these signs have faded and appear to be a plain white sign. The trails council got new stickers to put on these signs that help users know where they are, usually at trail heads or kiosks.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com