FAYETTEVILLE — Repairs are slated soon for a section of the Frisco Trail that collapsed after heavy flooding last April.
One lane of the trail, just south of Center Street, has been blocked with orange construction fencing since then.
Chris Brown, city engineer, said the project was delayed several months while officials worked through design and cost details with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“We felt like it was not an emergency situation where we just didn’t have any of the trail in service,” Brown said.
Representatives from several construction companies surveyed damage to the trail Friday as they prepare bids for the project.
Brush and loose material will have to be removed where a large tree fell into the creek about 30 feet below. A retaining wall will have to be rebuilt, and the embankment below will be stabilized using “gabion baskets” filled with rocks, Brown said.
Engineering staff estimated the project would cost about $170,000. Up to 75 percent of project costs are eligible for FEMA reimbursement, Brown said. The remaining 25 percent will likely be split evenly between the city and the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management.
According to Vicki Deaton, internal auditor for the city, Fayetteville officials reported nearly $750,000 in damages to FEMA as a result of last year’s flooding. Of that, the city received roughly $379,000 in 2011, and Deaton said she expected to receive about $160,000 more from the federal agency in the coming months.
Several water and sewer line repairs, some minor street projects and reconstruction of the Lake Fayetteville boat dock have yet to be completed, Deaton said.