ELEVATED WALKWAY PROJECT
A great example of how LRRETA applies our memberships, donations, and volunteer hours!
2016
The elevated walkway was completed and the trail from 455 south was re-opened after six years of closure! This re-opening of the trail was due to the volunteer work and donations of LRRETA, providing $170,000 and many volunteer hours.
2015
LRRETA (Lake Ray Roberts Equestrian Trails Association) successfully raised $170,000 for the new elevated walkway through a Texas Parks and Wildlife grant, Greenfest proceeds, and private donations.
The site was selected, engineering was completed, and the grant contract passed the Environmental Committee of the TPWD before receiving final approval from TXDOT.
2014
Building an Elevated Walkway– Greenbelt Alliance Raised Funds to Reopen Denton County Equestrian Trail
Proceeds from the 2014 GreenFest, held on September 27, helped fund the construction of an elevated walkway across a portion of the Greenbelt’s equestrian trail that was completely washed out during a flood in 2010. Because the washout area posed a public safety hazard, Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) closed the trail between FM 455 and FM 428, and it remained closed for several years.
TPWD, the City of Denton, Lake Ray Roberts Equestrian Trail Association (LRRETA), Greenbelt Alliance, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, and the US Army Corps of Engineers evaluated multiple plans to reopen the trail. In the spring of 2014, they agreed that the best solution was to install an elevated walkway across a narrow (60-foot) portion of the ravine just downstream of the washout. The estimated cost for the walkway ranged from $50,000 to $120,000, depending on whether it was donated or purchased.
Due to state-level funding cutbacks at TPWD, public budgets for capital projects like the walkway were limited. The Greenbelt Alliance and LRRETA led efforts to raise private funds from businesses and individuals in the North Texas region. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department supported the initiative as a lead sponsor of GreenFest and worked with the USACE to secure permits and approvals for the walkway’s placement and construction. The City of Denton and Our Lands and Waters Foundation, a fund associated with the USACE, also contributed as lead sponsors.
The Ray Roberts Lake/Lake Lewisville Greenbelt Corridor is a 20-mile multi-use trail system that begins at the Ray Roberts Dam and ends at the headwaters of Lake Lewisville. This unique trail corridor winds along the heavily wooded banks of the Elm Fork Branch of the Trinity River. Equestrians, hikers, and bikers access the trail at three trailheads: FM 455, FM 428, and Highway 380.
