Vandals have twice removed the gate and fencing that blocks a closed underpass on the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail (KRVT).
The closure is at a part of the trail passes over the Kalamazoo River and under East Michigan Avenue near downtown.
It was in poor shape by last spring, so the city removed the decking, blocked the entrances and posted a detour.
Kalamazoo Parks Director Patrick McVerry said the site’s been repeatedly vandalized, making it difficult for the city to adequately block that section.
“Putting those large gates and fences up and then having them ironically torn down, you know, a week later. It's not a fiduciary responsibility that we want to keep investing money in when, when it's not staying up permanently.”
The city plans to reroute the trail as it converts major downtown streets to two-way traffic over the next few years.
“The trail is a part of that new redesign to make it obviously safer for the public and easily accessible for the trail users.”
In the meantime, McVerry said engineers are working on plans to remove what’s left of the underpass.
KRVT users should continue to follow the on-road detour.
Verburg Park Improvements
For trail users, McVerry said a KVRT adjacent park north of downtown will see improvements that will start in the fall or early 2026.
Verburg Park will be getting a picnic shelter, playground, accessible kayak launch and a “pump track.”
McVerry describes a pump track as a hilly, asphalt obstacle course for bikers, skateboarders, and people in wheelchairs.
He said the city is working with the same company that built the pump track at Gier Park in Lansing.
“We thought, 'Hey, this would be a great spot' to have not only the pavilion, but something for kids to do if families were just riding on the trail for a while and give them something that was unique that we haven't had in the past.”
Verburg Park closed in 2022 for cleanup work in the Kalamazoo River and later reopened with a new boat launch and landscaping.
