Stormwater Catch Basin Work Starting
Starting this week, the Woods Creek Trail between Lime Kiln Bridge and Overhill Drive will be closed to allow construction of a new Stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP) catch basin.
The 14-acre basin will collect stormwater from the city of Lexington and allow it to be processed to significantly filter phosphorus and nitrogen before being released into Woods Creek, reducing the contaminants that enter the creek.
While construction is underway, pedestrian traffic is being detoured around that portion of the trail along existing city streets. From the northern end of the trail, pedestrians will walk down Lime Kiln Road and turn onto McLaughlin Street and walk to White Street. They will then walk east down White Street to the intersection with Highland Road. From there, they will turn south and continue along Highland Road, then walk down Jordan Street toward the southern end of the trail near Overhill Drive. The route is the same for people walking from south to north.
Patrick Madigan, director of Lexington’s Public Works Department, told The News-Gazette on Monday that the closure went into effect on Monday as the contractor assumed control of the site, but that fencing and signage announcing the closing would be put up today, Wednesday. The contractor will have 150 days (five months) to get the project to “substantial completion,” which would be in late August. “This project is a vital part of Lexington’s commitment to water quality,” the city of Lexington said in a press release announcing the closure and detour. “The new BMP acts as a natural filter, slowing down stormwater and allowing sediments and pollutants to settle before water reaches the creek. This initiative protects the Maury River and supports broader Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts before water reaches the creek. This initiative protects the Maury River and supports broader Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts.”
