Orono Bog Boardwalk closing six weeks early

The Orono Bog Boardwalk will close at the end of the day on Friday, Oct. 16, according to a press release sent by the Orono Bog Boardwalk Director Jim Bird earlier today. This is six weeks sooner than normal, but it is necessary for the completion of second phase of the boardwalk reconstruction process.

boardwalk1015-2The mile-long boardwalk can be accessed from trails of the Rolland F. Perry City Forest in Bangor. The closest trailhead is at the end of Tripp Drive, which is located off Stillwater Avenue, 1.6 miles north of the junction of Stillwater Avenue and Hogan Road. Access to the boardwalk is free. During the month of October, it is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Dogs are not permitted.

 

Directly after the boardwalk is closed this season, volunteers will start carefully removing 48 deteriorating wooden sections of the boardwalk, plus three wheelchair turnouts. They will then replace them with new sections made of durable composite material.

Over the last two years, volunteers have worked long hours to replace the first 204 sections of the mile-long boardwalk, which has been rapidly deteriorating in recent years. The new composite decking with cladded aluminum siding and stainless steel footings is expected to last many years — much longer than the original wooden decking.

Where the new composite sections end and the old wooden sections begin in late September 2015.

Where the new composite sections end and the old wooden sections begin in late September 2015.

A volunteer staff maintains the boardwalk and provides information and education for visitors, including school and community groups. The facility is jointly managed by the Orono Land Trust, the City of Bangor and the University of Maine. Its operation and maintenance are funded entirely through donations and sales of boardwalk merchandise.

For information about the boardwalk, to volunteer for the upcoming reconstruction or to make a contribution to the reconstruction, visit umaine.edu/oronobogwalk/, e-mail jim.bird@umit.maine.edu, or call 866-2578.

More recent photos of the boardwalk:

Aislinn Sarnacki

About Aislinn Sarnacki

Aislinn is a Bangor Daily News reporter for the Outdoors pages, focusing on outdoor recreation and Maine wildlife. Visit her main blog at actoutwithaislinn.bangordailynews.com.