Section of Lexington’s Legacy Trail reopens after construction caused it to close
A portion of Lexington’s Legacy Trail has reopened after it was blocked due to construction near the new Amazon facility on Newtown Pike, the city announced Sunday.
Cyclists and pedestrians previously used a shoulder to bypass the closed section of the trail when utility construction caused it to close in July. But that shoulder became impassable in September when construction started on a new turn lane for the new Amazon facility.
The utility construction which had forced the trail to close was completed over the weekend, the city said. The construction for the turn lane is expected to continue through the end of October, the city said.
“We met our deadline to get the trail reopened in early October so people can get outside and enjoy the trail and the beautiful fall weather,” Mayor Linda Gorton said in a statement.
Cyclists and trail users had criticized the closure, saying it wasn’t communicated well and made the area less safe for those trying to use the trail.
The closure started just after the bridge over New Circle, and ended just past the new Amazon facility.
An alternate route on the trail connecting Silver Springs Drive and Hollow Creek Road allowed trail users to avoid the construction area while it was closed. A new, safer trail path through the Amazon property is expected to open in late October, the city said.
Gorton asked people to keep using caution around the turn lane construction. That construction requires the Newtown Pike shoulder to be closed 24 hours per day. The outbound lane of Newtown Pike is also closed intermittently from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The heavy equipment at the construction site makes the shoulder impassable, the city said.
Amazon is expected to begin moving into the facility soon, the city said. The facility will eventually employ up to 500 workers.
This story was originally published October 3, 2021 at 2:31 PM.