Santa Fe breaks ground on next phase of 15 mile trail project

SANTA FE COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – A project decades in the making that would establish miles of trails and recreational space in Santa Fe, is taking a big step forward. The Santa Fe River Greenway Project has been built in bits and pieces and now the latest phase will help bring those pieces together.

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The Santa Fe River Greenway was first conceptualized in the 1980s with the goal of creating a 15-mile continuous stretch of trails and parks. Construction of the first two phases of the trail system started in the early 2000s, but the third phase, developing the stretch between the first two segments, faced some setbacks.

“And we finished it in 2018 and then we had a really serious flood. The 2018 flood which completely wipes everything out,” said Commissioner Anna Hansen, Santa Fe District 2.

On Wednesday, Santa Fe County officials broke ground on the third phase which will construct a trail from Siler Road to San Ysidro Crossing and connect the two previously completed sections. The development will include a one-mile concrete multi-use trail and a pedestrian bridge among other amenities. A new trail head is also going to be built along with 14 new paved parking spots near Siler Road.

The $15 million project is primarily funded through voter-approved bonds. This phase is expected to be completed by fall of next year. Residents in the area said they’ve been waiting a long time for the trail to finally be fully connected.

“Having the River Trail means that we can bike places whether that’s school, or the ice cream shop or friends and neighbors’ houses without having to worry about traffic,” said Juliana Ciano, a resident at Agua Fria Village in Santa Fe.

The county is already planning three more segments of the trail. They’re currently looking for funding.

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