An approximately 3-mile segment of Van Buren Trail State Park (or snowmobile trail LP 595) in Van Buren County, Michigan, is temporarily closed due to construction activity by American Electric Power. The company is completing nontrail work along the 14-mile, multiuse trail that runs along a former railroad right-of-way and links the cities of Hartford and South Haven.

Some of the construction work will be staged in areas where there are no alternative trail access points. The detour and closure are as follows:

• Paved trail section detour: There is a 1.95-mile marked detour along the paved section of trail from Lovejoy to 16th Avenue. This section of trail is slated to re-open in mid-March
• Unpaved trail section closure: A 1-mile unpaved section of trail is completely closed from 16th Avenue to County Road 380 with no detour in place. This section is slated to re-open in early June.

"We made the decision to close a segment of the trail due to safety reasons," said Jill Sell, DNR parks and recreation trails specialist. "The timeline for re-opening is dependent on how much trail restoration work needs to be completed and if the weather cooperates."

For the latest information on closures at other DNR-managed facilities, visit Michigan.gov/DNRClosures.

For more details about the Van Buren Trail State Park closures, contact Jill Sell at 269-330-4849 or SellJ1@Michigan.gov.

Contact: Jill Sell, DNR trails specialist, 269-330-4849