Since they were first announced in early 2013, bicycle and trail infrastructure improvements planned for the Goodale Street bridge over State Route 315 and the Olentangy River have generated plenty of enthusiasm from cyclists and other trail users; a new path along the north side of the Goodale bridge would improve conditions along a treacherous roadway and a new ramp would provide access to and from the Olentangy Trail below.
Although that enthusiasm was dampened somewhat when poured concrete unexpectedly caused the ramp to buckle, the project is now back on track and scheduled to open before Thanksgiving.
City of Columbus Greenways Planner Brad Westall said that all problems have been fixed, and that both the Goodale bikeway and the ramp will be open for use soon.
“We’ll come back next spring to do more landscaping and for some odds and ends,” he said, “but we are really thrilled that it will be opening, and also that we were able to complete this without having to shut down the trail, without any interruption of service at all.”
In other bike trail news, the final two segments of the Alum Creek Trail are scheduled to open May 3rd, and sharrows were recently painted on Hudson Street and other roads as part of the Hudson-Mock Connector, which provides an on-street connection between the Olentangy and Alum Creek Trails. City Council also recently approved funds for the Columbus portion of the Camp Chase Trail on the west side.
Photos by Walker Evans.