Construction begins on Better Streets trails

Construction began this week for one of the 13 trails included in the Better Streets program. 

Deep Fork Trail begins on Grand Boulevard where the Katy Trail ends, just south of I-44 and Grand Boulevard, a quarter mile south of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. The trail will continue west of the Deep Fork River over Western Avenue and under I-44, connecting to the Grand Boulevard Trail that currently ends on the ramp to westbound I-44. 

The trail itself is going to be about 4.2 miles long. 

“It is going to be the last segment of trail to complete an interloop around Oklahoma City that uses the Grand Boulevard Trail, Katy Trail, and the new connection of the Oklahoma City River trails that is being constructed right now,” Halff Associates Inc. Oklahoma Office Director of Planning and Landscaping Architecture Nate Clair said. 

Once Deep Fork is complete, a loop will be made around the metro area. 

The bids opened for it this week followed by construction expected to begin late this year or early 2023. 

The bid includes a 12-foot multi-use concrete path with several pedestrian bridges that will cross the Deep Fork River, as well as additional trailhead access points with paved parking for trail access. 

“It should take about a year for construction,” he said. "They are bidding it in multiple phases. How those come back will determine how much of the trail will be built.” 

Clair said the idea for Deep Fork Trail began in 2018 and started as a segment of about three-quarters of a mile. It was part of the Transportation Alternatives Program with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

 “What is really exciting about this corridor is its location. It really ties into the Adventure District. It passes by residential neighborhoods. It passes by multi-family housing,” Clair added.

“There is just opportunity, not only to be a recreational trail, but an active transportation corridor for a number of users.”