Pleasant Hill Tackling 2 Major Trail Projects This Year

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This will be a big year for trail upgrades in Pleasant Hill, with the city working on two different major projects. One of them will require part of the Gay Lea Wilson Trail to be closed.

Rough Ride

The Gay Lea Wilson Trail is bumpin’ in Pleasant Hill – and not just because it’s a such busy bike biking route. Pay attention the next time you ride through Copper Creek Lake Park and you’ll feel what the city is about to fix.

“I think we had about 65 or 70 significant cracks,” said Pleasant Hill Parks and Recreation director Ryan Merritt.

Those cracks have left portions of the trail so far-gone that Merritt said some sections of pavement will be completely removed and replaced instead of simply resurfaced. He said much of the 1.2-mile-long loop’s surface is original and has been in place for 25 years.

“We’ve been patching it and sealing cracks and doing the best we can to make sure that it doesn’t crumble and completely degrade,” Merritt said. “We’re definitely beyond the expected life of this trail.”

Construction and Closure

Merritt said in 2024, the city logged nearly 100,000 cyclists riding through Copper Creek Lake Park on the Gay Lea Wilson Trail. Those cyclists will have to be resourceful later this year, because the trail will be closed through the park for an estimated three weeks.

“Our hope is that it’s going to be a minor inconvenience because it is a major thoroughfare,” Merritt said.

The closure will occur sometime between July 28 and September 12. The entire park will be closed to give construction crews room to safely work, Merritt said.

Cyclists will have to find their own way around the park because the city will not designate an official detour.

“We don’t have a great route to encourage for pedestrians or cyclists,” Merritt said.

The most direct way around Copper Creek Lake Park includes Williams St. in Des Moines and E. University Ave. in Des Moines and Pleasant Hill. Sidewalks are not included along some sections of those roads, making them unsuitable detour routes.

Finished Product

While closing such a popular trail during peak summer months is not ideal, Merritt said the inconvenience will be worth it.

In addition to the smoother path, the city is upgrading every light along the loop with LED bulbs for better visibility at night. If the budget allows, another portion of the trail along E. University could also be resurfaced.

Merritt said he hopes the improvements will make Copper Creek Lake Park even more attractive to cyclists.

“I would consider it kind of a hidden gem on the east side,” he said. “My hope is that with these updates and upgrades, it’s a good welcoming that we can showcase what we have to offer in our parks.”

The Final Link

While Pleasant Hill prepares to fix up a well-worn trail, crews have already started working on a new section of another. The Youngstown Trail will soon be complete, with its missing middle section finally filled in.

It will run alongside Parkridge Ave. between Doanes Park Rd. and SE 6^th Ave., connecting to existing sections of trail. At less than half a mile long, it’s a relatively short stretch, but Merritt said it will improve safety for cyclists.

“That section of street is really a little bit treacherous,” Merritt said of Parkridge Ave., where drivers transition from a fairly rural area to a more densely populated neighborhood.

The trail should be open by this fall.

Downtown Connections

The completion of the Youngstown Trail will also make for a safer ride between Pleasant Hill and Des Moines. The new section will connect to a sidewalk along Scott Ave. in Des Moines, which runs all the way to Martin Luther King Jr. Pkwy. Alongside MLK, the Southeast Connector Trail goes all the way downtown.

The Southeast Connector Trail itself will eventually reach Pleasant Hill when MLK is extended all the way to Highway 65. Merritt would like to see the Youngstown Trail extend south and link up with the Southeast Connector Trail, creating another cycle-friendly link between Des Moines and Pleasant Hill. Work on that project will begin this spring and should be finished in 2027.

Check Your Inbox On Friday!

I’ve got a bonus story this week! While perusing local city council agendas (am I the only one who does that?), I ran across an item that seemed pretty ordinary, and probably straight up boring. But I made a note to make a call on it. And I’m glad I did! It turned out to be anything but a snooze, and I can’t wait until next week to tell you all about it! So, make sure to be on the lookout on Friday morning for a little bonus content. See ya then!