Visitors at Griffy Lake may notice construction crews working this week. That’s because the city is kicking off the next phase of an ongoing improvement project.
Starting Wednesday, crews will begin constructing a new trail crossing along the dam as part of the Griffy Loop Trail project.
The $1.85 million endeavor began last year when the city installed a pier and paved walkway along the lake.
Steve Cotter, the natural resources manager for Bloomington Parks and Recreation, said the Griffy Loop Trail project was originally conceived back in the 1980s. Funding became available through the bicentennial bonds.
“We were able to get the walkway completed on the west side of Headley Road last year,” Cotter said. “The trail itself eventually will go all the way around the lake with the Headley Road being the eastern edge of it, and the dam at Griffy will be the western edge of it.”
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In addition to the new trail, crews will install fencing and a new stairway going from the parking lot below the dam to the trail.
The start of this phase of the project follows the timeline previously given by the city’s parks and recreation department. It should be completed by the end of 2023.
Cotter said the loop project will make walking around the lake safer. There is currently exposed bedrock which, when wet, can be especially hazardous.
“People have wanted to have a loop trail on the lake for many years,” Cotter said. “This project will make it much easier for people to walk the entire distance around the lake.”
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A maximum of $344,700 in funding for the dam crossing will come from the North Kinser Pike/Prow Road Tax Increment Finance area.
The city plans to begin the next phase of trail construction later this summer. Included in that phase will be an improved four-mile trail along the south shore.
Cotter said the city plans to build the north shore portion, which would complete the loop, sometime next year.
Griffy Lake Nature Preserve is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
