Hinkle Roundabout Completed, North Lakes Trail Closed
The bicycle accommodation on the east side of the roundabout on Hinkle Drive is complete, 19 months after the City announced that construction on Hinkle was complete.
When the City announced the completion of Hinkle in August, 2020, the bike lanes on both sides of the roundabout ended abruptly in grass.
The west side of the roundabout was completed in May, 2021.
Read: West Side of Hinkle Roundabout Complete
There is also work to correct the new sidewalk on the west side of Hinkle, which was constructed with wires in the middle of it, blocking ADA access. This correction is close to being completed.
People traveling on the sidewalk to North Lakes Park still have no connection across Windsor at Hinkle. For people who are able to walk through grass and step up and down curbs, there are no crosswalks provided to signal to drivers that they should yield to pedestrians waiting to cross.
The completion of the roundabout and improvement of the sidewalk come at the same time as an unexpected closure of a segment of the North Lakes Trail as part of construction for the Tennis Center.
Denton Parks & Recreation social media accounts did not notify the public of the closure of this trail segment, a key connection for bicycle mobility, nor were safe detours provided or suggested. However, they did notify the public of how the construction would impact parking for automobiles.
The safest detour for people traveling by bicycle through this corridor is the gravel road that parallels the trail. However, the gravel road is closed until at least April 1st due to the construction.
Once the gravel road is reopened, people with light-weight bicycles who are able-bodied can ride the trail until the “Trail Closed” sign. From there, they can lift their bicycle over the low cable fence and onto the gravel road.
People with heavier bicycles, or who are not physically able to lift their bicycle, should detour near the dog park towards the gravel parking lot and then follow the gravel road to Windsor. However, gravel roads may present challenges for people small road tires.
The Tennis Center construction has an anticipated completion date of November, 2022. However, no announcement has been made regarding when the segment of trail will be reopened.
