Boschert Greenway was first built in 2008 in partnership with Great Rivers Greenway and the City of St. Charles, now stretching from the KATY Trail through Fox Hill Park and out to Boschertown Road and then New Town Blvd. Thousands of people have used this greenway to connect to nearby destinations, commute, exercise, connect to nature and make memories with their friends and family.
That northernmost segment of the greenway, between Boschertown Road and New Town Blvd, was built on top of a small levee, and bald cypress trees were planted alongside. While they provide beauty and shade, this species also has major roots systems and “knees” which poke back up to be visible above ground. They’ve caused major buckling of the asphalt trail over the years, to the point of closing that segment of greenway for safety concerns.
Unwilling to close that connection permanently, the partners worked together to form a plan. Unfortunately, those trees needed to be removed – they are simply incompatible with a trail-topped levee. The trees are being removed now and the trail will be redone next, re-opening by the end of April 2024. After a few months of monitoring, the experts will re-assess what further improvements might be needed to the trail’s surface.
Furthermore, while the partners cannot replant trees along the levee next to the trail, there are tree planting plans in the works at other public lands in St. Charles, to align with both agency’s conservation goals. The City of St. Charles Parks and Recreation Department and Great Rivers Greenway are working together to identify locations, either in a traditional park setting or as part of one of our conservation projects, to plant new trees to off-set the loss of canopy along this segment of the Boschert Greenway.
Thanks for your patience and understanding as the team works through making sure that the greenway is safe, accessible and enjoyable by thousands of people for years to come!
Emma Kleus
VP of Communications & Outreach