"We see a lot of foot traffic that way just to get to that other trail corridor there," Adel Parks and Recreation Director Nick Schenck told Raccoon Valley Radio on October 5, the day crews started the Evans Park Trail Extension Project. The lighted bridge got the summer's attention when it reopened. This smaller project is about how people on foot get from town onto the trail, starting at one busy intersection.
A Year Without the Lighted Bridge
The lighted bridge on the Raccoon River Valley Trail in Adel was closed for more than a year. Fire damaged its eastern span in May 2025. Dallas County Conservation announced that it would reopen on Saturday, August 8, 2026, after the damaged span was replaced and other structural and safety work was done. In its August 6 report, WHO13 quoted the agency describing the reopening as "restoring an important trail connection and benefiting trail users, Adel residents, and local businesses."
The bridge has been one of the trail's best-known features since 2020, when 66 color-changing LED lights went up on the bridge and its approaches. Getting it back took community money. Raccoon Valley Radio's coverage of the August 21 "Bridge Is Back" celebration said the community campaign raised more than $115,000. The Raccoon River Valley Trail Association's September newsletter counted about 150 cyclists on the roughly seven-mile ride from Waukee and about 200 people at the ribbon-cutting.
Those riders came in on the trail. The bridge did nothing for someone walking from a house on the other side of Greene Street, who still had to cross a road the city itself calls a very high-traffic area on school days. That is the gap the October project addresses.
What Is Being Built at South 14th and Greene
The extension connects Evans Park to the Raccoon River Valley Trail. At South 14th and Greene Street, it adds rapid-flashing beacons and a push-button pedestrian signal. Schenck explained the timing in the same Raccoon Valley Radio interview: "Currently, the police are rolling out a temporary stop sign on mornings and afternoons when schools open, so having a push button cross signal will be huge for safety and walkability, and just our community in general."
So today, safety at that corner depends on a temporary sign that appears only at school arrival and dismissal. The new signal works any time a pedestrian presses the button, including Saturday mornings, weekday evenings and every other hour the school-day sign isn't out.
The October 12 Parks & Recreation Board packet adds detail. The packet names Caliber Concrete of Adair, Iowa, as the contractor. It says crews began by taking out existing sidewalks and working with homeowners on driveway access, and it estimates the project at roughly 25 working days. The October 5 announcement had said 20. The council's October 13 agenda listed Pay Application No. 1 for the Adel Recreation Trail project.
Counting the Working Days
Here is how the schedule works out, counting weekdays from Monday, October 5:
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Work begins | Monday, October 5 |
| Original 20-working-day estimate | About Friday, October 30 |
| Revised 25-working-day estimate | About Friday, November 6 |
| Regular City Council meeting | Tuesday, October 27 |
| Beggar's Night in Adel | Saturday, October 31, 6 to 8 p.m. |
On that count, Thursday, October 29 is roughly working day 19 of 25, so the connection should still be under construction this week. Updates from the October 27 council meeting and later meetings are posted on the city's agendas and minutes page.
The overlap with Halloween is worth planning around. The City of Adel set Beggar's Night for Saturday, October 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. Sidewalks were removed near the work zone, so families trick-or-treating around South 14th and Greene may find some stretches still torn up and want a different route.
Evans Park Turns Into a Trail Access Point
Once the link opens, the trail's draw starts reaching a park that already brings people in for other reasons. The city's Evans Park page describes a 12-acre community park with:
- A paved half-mile loop plus connections to neighborhood trails
- Disc golf, volleyball, basketball and pickleball
- A playground and a zipline
- A shelter, parking and restrooms
Parking and restrooms are what change Evans Park's role. A park with both can work as a starting point for a ride or walk, which a corner sidewalk can't. A half-mile loop next to a regional trail also means one outing can be as short as a stroller lap or as long as a ride toward Waukee, all from the same parking lot.
The Rest of the Sequence Runs Into 2027
The bridge and the Evans Park link are the first two steps in a longer series of trail projects around Adel. According to the Trail Association's October 2026 newsletter, here is what comes next:
- Adel to Redfield crack repair, this fall. Crews will repair transverse and longitudinal cracks on this section, which the Association calls the major safety issue area. The trail may close on certain weekdays, but the Association plans to reopen it each Friday by 6 p.m. and not resume work until Monday at 6 a.m.
- Dallas County Trails Master Plan, starting in November. Dallas County Conservation scheduled interviews with three firms on October 7. Planning is expected to start in November and wrap up in late July or August.
- Phase V repaving through the City of Adel, January 2027 bid letting. This is the next phase of the Dallas County repaving plan for the trail. The Iowa DOT is reviewing the plans.
This year's work has gone into getting onto the trail, with the bridge back in service and the Evans Park link and crossing signal under construction. The trail surface inside city limits is the part still waiting, and the repaving schedule puts that work after 2027 bids are let. The Friday-evening reopening rule for the Redfield section means weekend rides heading west should be open even during repair weeks.
Fall Riding on the New Pieces
The Association's October newsletter advises fall riders to dress in layers, wear bright or reflective clothing, and carry front and rear lights "even if they expect to finish their ride before dark." It also warns that fallen leaves can hide cracks, sticks and other debris. That debris warning applies directly to the Adel to Redfield stretch while its crack repairs are underway.
The same newsletter encourages riders to stop in trail towns for coffee, breakfast or lunch. One option close by is Brickyard Burgers & Brews at 1802 Greene St., which Discover Adel describes as a family restaurant and bar steps away from the trail. The restaurant was also on the City Council's October 13 agenda for a Class C retail alcohol license with outdoor service and catering.
With the crossing at South 14th and Greene and the Evans Park link both on Greene Street, the Brickyard sits in the same part of town as the new access point. For questions about the extension before it opens, Adel Parks & Recreation can be reached at (515) 993-4525.
If your plans in Adel hinge on how close a home is to the trail, from a walk to the Evans Park loop to a quick crossing at 14th and Greene, we know which streets connect where, and we're happy to walk the routes with you. Get Moving With Marc & Jill Lee.
