A freshly surfaced pocket parking lot by Boggus Ford in Harlingen offers a clue of something new afoot by the Arroyo Colorado. 

Take a left from an existing trail of two decades into a new section of the Arroyo Colorado Hike and Bike Trail. It descends to the arroyo and then back toward Expressway 77. The new extension runs 1.6 miles, going under an expressway bridge on a trail lined by wildflowers and dense woodlands of mesquite and ebony trees. The new trail concludes on Dixieland Road.

The arroyo is visible through clearings of cattails and tall sunflowers. White-wing doves flutter across the path laid down for walkers, joggers and cyclists. The original banks of the arroyo tower overhead. They are a reminder of how much wider it once was before dams and other flood control measures diminished the river’s size. There is likely no other urban trail in the Valley that cuts through as much native habitat as this one.

“When you walk it, you kind of forget where you’re at,” said Javier Mendez, the parks and recreation director in Harlingen. “There’s so much vegetation out there. It’s really unique.”

The new arroyo trail extension, a phase two project that cost $1.5 million, is nearly two years late in completion. Supply side issues and spotty performance by contractors were among the culprits in the project’s delays. The green space and riverside views along the new trail with its slopes and three pedestrian bridges indicate it was worth the wait.

“What’s important at the end is that we have a product that we can be proud of and is safe to the public,” Mendez said.

Dealing With Delays

In all, the arroyo trail in its two parts is now 4.6 miles long. It now runs from McKelvey Park on Business 77/Sunshine Strip to Dixieland Road on Harlingen’s west side.

The original branch was completed in 2000. It is the city’s most popular site to exercise, from the casual walkers to serious runners and speedy cyclists. Harlingen’s iconic red rail bridge is the midpoint between McKelvey and Boggus Ford on the trail’s original stretch. Adding to the trail was long wished for and became possible in 2020 when the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation made a $1.2 million donation. The city contributed nearly $500,000 and the design work for a new trail extension began. It was decided to go south under the expressway and then parallel below arroyo cliffs near Rangerville Road, with its endpoint on Dixieland Road.

Initial projections called for completion of the phase two trail project in late 2021. That goal would prove to be far off the mark. There were complexities of dealing with the International Boundary & Water Commission, a federal agency, since the arroyo is an offshoot of the Rio Grande and is an essential part of the Valley’s drainage systems. The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department also had to grant the necessary approvals and work with the city on laying down a trail on state property under the expressway.

Respecting Natural Surroundings

Then there was the matter of respecting the vast amounts of native habitat the new trail would run through and coming up with an unobtrusive design. 

“We had to be very careful in the way we designed it,” Mendez said. “We wanted to leave native trees in place and build around them.”

Finally, as of Aug. 1, the trail extension was completed. With its pedestrian bridges and by going under the expressway, trail users can proceed with no vehicular interruptions. It’s a rarity among urban trails in the Valley. 

“No need to battle cars and trucks to cross intersections,” Mendez said.

The ability to go unimpeded for almost five miles is something both cyclists and runners are already enjoying.

“It has been all positive,” Mendez said. “The cyclists, running organizations, everyone we’ve spoken with has been impressed with what we’re doing.”