Part of Missoula’s Kim Williams Trail Will Be Rerouted

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - Hundreds of Missoulians use and enjoy the iconic Kim Williams Trail every day, but the trail will be diverted for several weeks for a construction project.

I spoke with UM Director of Strategic Communications Dave Kuntz about the project.

The Kim Williams Trail will be Diverted this Summer

“We are launching a new infrastructure project which will help collect some of the stormwater that runs off into the river, and it will collect that water and be able to filter it before it goes into the river,” began Kuntz. “Because of that infrastructure project and its proximity to the river, we are going to have to reroute the Kim Williams Trail right there at the footbridge that crosses over the Clark Fork River up by the football stadium and then back to the east, where it will connect on the far side of the tailgate area.”

Kuntz said the trail is one of the most popular and most widely used in Missoula.

The Trail is Widely Used by Students and Community Members Alike

“We know that it’s not only a recreation trail, but also a commuter trail for a lot of the people who work at the university,” he said. “Things will be clearly marked. The disruption will largely be minimal, but for those who are on the trail routinely, it will require probably about a quarter mile or so of detour to be able to get around the infrastructure project as it's built over the next two months.”

For those unfamiliar with the Kim Williams Trail, Kuntz described the well-worn path.

“The Kim Williams Trail is really something that's unique here about Missoula,” he said. “It's a trail that runs all the way through downtown to the east, out near East Missoula. And so for a lot of our students, for a lot of people who recreate in town, and then again, for a lot of the people who work at the University, who commute, it's a great way to travel on foot or on bike from west to east, or vice versa, there alongside the river.”

READ MORE: Missoula County Now Officially Owns Marshall Mountain Park

Construction will begin on June 17th and Last for about Two Months

Kuntz provided more details about the project.

“Construction will start on June 17th, so that'll be the day that the trail is rerouted, which is next Monday, and then we expect it to run for about two months,” he said. “By the middle of August, the trail will be restored to its original place and be fully operational from there.”