Trail Obstacle at Franklin

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Trek on 11/2/2009 2:10:18 PM:

Although I guess the trail is not closed it is fenced off on the south side of the bridge just south of Franklin. There is about a four foot wide gap in the trail surface that is as deep as the distance to the creek below.

As you approach from the north you can get right up to the jagged edge......no barrier here. There is a small rocky makeshift path on the east side of trail that you can carry your bike around the gap in the trail. I'm amazed that DNR has only partially blocked this off and that there is no mention of it on their website.

We rode through there over the weekend on the tandem and was warned by other through riders to be prepaired to unload and carry.

Trek on 11/2/2009 2:16:47 PM:

Amazing....so a few minutes later I look at the DNR site and find this that was posted today:

Trail Conditions
11/2/09 -- The trail is closed at MM 189.2 at the Sulphur Creek Bridge between New Franklin and Boonville. Trail users should follow the detour signs to pass this area until repairs have been made.

No detour signs up over the weekend....just several of us wondering why there was such a gap in the trail so poorly roped off with no warning except word of mouth on the trail. Last weeks budget cuts??

Dawn Fredrickson, Katy Trail Coordinator on 11/3/2009 10:16:39 AM:

We were not aware of the undercut at the Sulphur Creek bridge until Monday morning, Nov. 2. This section was inspected on Thursday, Oct. 29 and, at that point, the damaged portion of the trail had not extended beyond the existing fenced-off section. The heavy rains and flashflooding that occurred last week worked quickly to scour out the rest of the trail so that, by Saturday, the damaged area was much more extensive. A big thank you to the Katy users who called our toll free number (1-800-334-6946)to let us know about the damage! We really rely on our users to let us know of problems and appreciate the phone calls and emails (moparks@dnr.mo.gov). Expect to see crews and heavy equipment at Franklin, as we work to fix the area. Thanks!

Trek on 11/3/2009 2:03:18 PM:

When we came through Saturday afternoon it was pretty extensive. Did the DNR maintenance crew get cut any on the resent budget cuts?

Dawn Fredrickson, Katy Trail Coordinator on 11/24/2009 5:03:47 PM:

Trek, the short answer to your question is, yes, there were Katy maintenance positions directly impacted by the recent layoffs. Additionally, there were other layoffs and staff reductions that will have an indirect impact on the Katy Trail. Implementing the layoffs was a difficult decision made more heart-wrenching by the fact that just about everyone who works for the state park system is passionate about state parks and dedicated to their preservation and availability to the public. However, with the declining sales tax and other revenues, the decision had to be made in order to continue the system's viability. The final impact of these on Katy operations is still uncertain and probably won't be fully realized for a couple of years, but the Department of Natural Resources is committed to operating the trail as efficiently as possible with as little disruption in services as possible.

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