Popular Walking Trail For Students To Close Due To Stream Stabilization Project

Ellicott City MD

14 June, 2022

10:24 AM

Description

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A stream stabilization project scheduled to begin this week will prompt the closure of a walking path and pedestrian bridge in Howard County, which will affect the path some students take to reach a nearby middle school in Ellicott City. The waterways affected are two tributaries that lead to Deep Run, which are located north of Mayfield Woods Middle School. The sections of the stream to be stabilized extend from the walking path north of the school upstream to a site near 8089 Woodloo Drive. Utilizing a variety of instream structures to re-establish a more natural stream and floodplain condition, approximately 3,640 linear feet of stream will be stabilized. The culvert beneath the nearby walking path and pedestrian bridge also will be replaced. The project will create a more functional environmental system and increase the variety of wildlife habitats, county officials say, as well as reduce the pollutant loads of sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus leaving the stream channels, improving water quality within the site and downstream. Weather permitting, the project should be completed by mid-March 2023. While the project is not expected to impact the flow of vehicular traffic, signs will be posted in the area to alert pedestrians that the walking path from Woodcrest Drive along the stream will be closed for the duration of the work. For students who typically use the walking path to reach the middle school, the Howard County Public School System will be providing these students with additional bus services during the construction period. This project is partially funded through a grant provided by the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund in Fiscal Year 2021 and by the county's Watershed Protection and Restoration Fund.