Many students endure cracks, bumps and flooding while using the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway for transportation and exercise, but a section of the path will soon see repairs after a recent washout.
After recent rains led to rapid water rushing from the Hocking River, eroding the bank below the bikeway, local officials have worked with federal officials to get funding, equipment and permission for the repairs.
“(Athens County Engineer’s Department has) agreed to help repair by doing labor and equipment for (the) washout on the bikeway about mile 10,” County Engineer Archie Stanley said.
One obstacle has been getting permission from the federal government to begin the process, said County Commissioner Larry Payne.
“We’re past the hardest part,” Payne said.
The project is expected to begin early this week after the commissioners authorized the expenditure on Monday. The county prosecutor and commissioners approved the repairs Sept. 14, according to a document issued by Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn.
Now the Athens County Engineer’s Department just has to worry about purchasing stone material and hauling it to the washout area to get the job done, Stanley said.
“Right now, (the project) is estimated (to cost) around $5,500 to $6,000,” Payne said. The money comes from a bike path improvements donation fund, he said.
Though the path has its problems, it has not caused much damage to bikes.
John Lefelhocz, owner of Cycle Path Bicycles, 104 W. Union St., said that the path probably has not caused more bike repairs
than usual.
“The number one complaint I get from my customers is about the university section and the cracks in it,” Lefelhocz said. “(As you ride over them), you get a really hard jolt through your hands. It’s really uncomfortable. But the county section, where water is cutting through, (just needs) maintenance.”
The main damage that can occur to bikes on the path is flat tires, which cost about $15 to repair at Cycle Path Bicycles. To avoid the issue, it is important that riders keep their tire pressure at an appropriate level.
Aside from damages, the path can simply be frustrating for bikers, joggers, and rollerbladers alike.
“Rollerblading is a little bumpy sometimes,” said Lindsay Youmell, a junior studying nursing. “You’ve got to slow down, and watch yourself so you don’t fall. (I think) it’s (better) for biking because the wheels are bigger and everything.”
Riders and runners should not have to wait long for the repairs, Stanley said.
“Depending upon what we run into as we prepare the site for the stone placement, it could take up to a week to complete,” Stanley wrote in an email. “But hopefully a couple of days will suffice.”
kf398711@ohiou.edu
