EXCITING times are ahead at Durban Botanic Gardens with a new running trail currently under construction from the Currie Road look-out point to the St Thomas Road side of the Upper Gardens.
Local residents have welcomed the news of the trail as well as plans to utilise the Currie Road lookout site for outdoor events.
Theproject is a collaboration between the City’s Urban Design Department, Parks District 7, the Water Department and the Gardens, and ward councillor Chris Pappas who has assisted with capital funding for the project.
“The aim of the above project is to develop a larger Urban Trail Network linking the Lower and Upper Botanic Gardens to the Currie Road Reservoir and onto Berea Park. This essentially makes for a 6km walking/running route. We have made a start on building the new trail starting at the St Thomas Road side of the Upper Gardens. The aim is to extend the trail up past the reservoir to Currie Road where the overgrowth has recently been cleared away, and in the other direction to John Zikhali Road,” said Martin Clement from Durban Botanic Gardens.
ALSO READ: Plans afoot for Currie Road look-out
He said the team aimed to complete the work along with the upgrade of the top of the Currie Road Reservoir before the end of November when an outdoor yoga programme activation was planned.
“The trail construction, new bollards, fencing, and removal of unsightly barbed wire will be completed by then and security will be in place,” said Clement. He said the grass at the site was being refertilised and six bins and six benches would be installed.
The 6km trail will start at the Durban Botanic Gardens Visitors Complex and move onto the uMphafa Trail past the Butterfly Garden and the perimeter of the concert area, up to the St Thomas Road pedestrian gate. The route will then extend up St Thomas Road to the trail, which moves towards the Currie Road look-out site and onto Berea Park. It then meanders down to the tea garden entrance at the Gardens, through the Forest Garden, Palm Walk and the new Strelitzia Trail to the Visitors Complex.
Entries will open for the first ever Twilight Run at the Gardens on Thursday, 29 November. This will be a 2.5km circuit run/walk event inside the Gardens with options of doing a 5km and 7.5km distance.
“We will also be putting in clear view fencing on the Upper Gardens however we are awaiting funding for this. Our long-term plan is to build a bridge across Botanic Gardens Road which will drop down into the Gardens to create a canopy boardwalk type experience,” he said.
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