West Hamilton News

One of the oldest, most traveled sections of the Great Miami River Recreational Trail in Hamilton will be temporarily closed beginning Tuesday, August 15th, while it is being resurfaced. Depending on the weather, the work is expected to take a couple of days. 

This section extends from the Fitton Center (to the north) down to the baseball fields at Joyce Park. This section is approximately 3.2 miles long. The City budgeted $150,000 in 2023 to work on this section of trail. The City determined that the underlying structure of the path was still in good condition, leading them to use micropaving as opposed to a full reconstruction.

Micropaving is a technique used to extend the life of the existing asphalt surfaces by applying a thin layer of asphalt emulsion mixed with fine aggregates. It provides a smooth riding surface and helps to seal cracks and protect the underlying pavement from further deterioration.

Micropaving is a relatively quick process that requires minimal disruption to the existing infrastructure and can be completed at a fraction of the cost of full reconstruction. The City anticipates this solution will last approximately 8-10 years. 

Full reconstruction involves removing the existing pavement and rebuilding the bike path from the base up. It is a time-consuming process that requires significant resources and can be disruptive to the surrounding environment. The estimated cost for full reconstruction of the bike path is significantly higher than micropaving, typically four times more expensive.

The type of microsurfacing application that Hamilton has selected uses recycled asphalt as the aggregate in lieu of stone, which will also provide the bike path with a darker finished surface.

Strawser Construction is scheduled to perform this work beginning on August 15th, weather permitting. Please keep an eye on the City's Facebook account for updates regarding the reopening of this section of the trail. 

Original source can be found here.