A Meewasin Trail enhancement project is beginning this week in the area between the Broadway Bridge and the Bessborough Hotel.

Alan Otterbein, Manager of Design and Development at the Meewasin Valley Authority says construction on the area will take place early this week, and is expected to take most of the summer, barring bad weather or unforeseen circumstances. Detours will be in place redirecting trail users around the front of the Bessborough onto the sidewalk along Spadina.

Trail upgrades include increasing the trail’s width by more than double, planting new trees, upgrading trail lighting, adding river outlook points, replacing the benches, and putting in a new drinking fountain.

The project idea came from a trail study conducted in 2013. Meewasin found that certain areas of the trail were used more, and therefore warranted priority when it comes to upgrades.

The project’s funding is a mixture of federal and provincial, as well as some money from the City of Saskatoon and additional support from Trans Canada Trail. Otterbein adds that donors are a huge portion of where Meewasin gets its support.