The track at Bellevue State Park is getting new stormwater pipes and will be regraded. Ken Mammarella photo.
Renovation of the signature oval track at Bellevue State Park will “replace numerous stormwater pipes under the track, regrade and resurface the track with similar stonedust surfacing,” according to a sign posted at the North Wilmington park.
The $1.1 million project started in early May and should be done by August, according to Shauna McVey, a spokeswoman for the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, which includes the state park system.
The project is intended to “improve drainage of the track and adjacent areas in the park affected by culvert pipes under the track,” she said. “It will also improve the surface of the track.” It is not being done to address any stormwater/flooding concerns outside the park.
“Visitors should expect periodic partial closures and general construction impacts,” the sign at the site continues. Another nearby sign is at the ready for when parts of the track is closed.
A thread on nextdoor generated multiple comments about the loss of trees in the area.
“The tree removal is related to clearing approximately 1,200 linear feet of an existing drainage swale on the outside of the southernmost corner of the Bellevue Track,” McVey said. “Only young trees and brush that have grown up in that swale will be removed. Efforts will be made to work around and save large trees in that area. No tree plantings are part of the plan.”
“Areas disturbed during construction will be restored,” she said. “No other landscaping it part of the project.”
Material for the renovations at the park’s track. Ken Mammarella photo.
Updates on the park’s Facebook page
The park is providing project updates on its Facebook page.
“For the duration of the construction work on the track, the short trail that runs from the entrance road to the track” will be closed,” a post at the end of May read. “The trails that cross the closed trail remain open but proceed with caution and watch for construction vehicles when crossing.”
Another post, on April 10, explained “those big green things around the track and pond” in the center of the track. “Those are silt socks! Silt socks are mesh sleeves filled with organic material like leaf litter and mulch. They are designed to prevent sediment run off in areas with active digging. At Bellevue, the silt socks will prevent sediment from reaching the pond and overall reduce the impact of the project on the park.”
The track, which is 1⅛ miles long, is both a draw for park users and a distinctive feature from the air, among the suburban subdivisions nearby.
