(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A local park will celebrate the inauguration of its new pedestrian access ramp with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Nov. 1. Due to degradation and erosion at a section in Monument Valley Park, parts of the creek had lowered by more than five feet in some places along the 3,500-foot section between Mesa Road and Bijou Street. The erosion increased the risk of exposing large underground wastewater pipes that lie along the channel. Colorado Springs Utilities (Springs Utilities) began to raise the channel bottom in some sections and return it to pre-erosion levels to keep the pipe protected. That portion of the project was finished in May 2024. Then in July 2024, in order to enhance the Greenway Trail and as part of the project, the City of Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services (PRCS) began construction of a pedestrian ramp/underpass at Mesa Road to enhance the Greenway Trail — both which are meant to provide safer access to the channel corridor. Now, after a year of construction, trail users are invited to the ribbon cutting and to take part in an inaugural trek down the new pedestrian access ramp at the bridge. Individuals are welcome to run or pedal through. The ceremony will take place on Friday morning at 10:30 a.m. at Monument Valley Park. The ceremony will take place in the red circle, parking can be found in any of the yellow highlighted areas. Courtesy: Springs Utilities. The section has been closed for almost a year while construction was happening along the creek channel. Both the ramp and underpass are meant to provide safer access to the channel corridor.