Johnson County bike trail closure draws protests

NORTH LIBERTY - School and county officials aren't seeing eye-to-eye on plans to close a popular bike trail this summer for construction of Liberty High School in North Liberty.

Citing Iowa City schools physical plant director Duane Van Hemert, The Gazette reported earlier this month that the district is considering closing the Dubuque Street Bike Trail late summer into fall.

Superintendent Stephen Murley notified the school board Thursday night the trail will close much sooner, on Monday. 'Trail closed” signs will be posted at each end of the trail, he said.

The time frame the trail is out of commission will be about the same - three months - with reopening at the end of August, Murley said.

Earlier Thursday, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors had sent a letter to Murley and the school board requesting the trail and surrounding roads not be closed or to provide a detour.

The trail used for recreation and commuting runs from Iowa City to North Liberty and crosses county land at points.

Murley told school board members a detour is unlikely. The school district and the contractor, McComas-Lacina Construction, aren't in

'a position to determine an alternate route for a bike trail that is not on our property and that spans the county and multiple municipalities.”

'There is no safe way to create an alternate route on the (Liberty High School) site with all of the heavy earth moving equipment and utility installation work taking place; therefore an alternative route would need to be identified along the bike trail before arriving at the (high school) site,” Murley said.

Johnson County Supervisor Janelle Rettig wrote to Murley indicating her disappointment.

'I am extremely disappointed that the School District cares so little about the safety of Johnson County residents that you would close a public transportation and recreation connection with no thought to an alternative route and with no public input or discussion,” Rettig said.

The $44 million, 1,000-student high school at the intersection of Dubuque Street and North Liberty Road is expected to be complete before the 2017 school year.