One of Cottage Grove’s most popular parks is closed for repairs this summer.
The 515-acre Ravine Regional Park, operated by Washington County, is getting $3 million in improvements. The park is expected to reopen in spring 2018.
“It is definitely a gem in the rough,” wrote Deputy Public Works Director Wayne Sandberg in an email, “and it’s not as well known as it should be.”
Improvements being made this summer will cost about $2 million. They include a new entryway to the park on Keats Avenue/County Highway 19, new trails, improved lighting and additional parking. The remaining $1 million will be spent on improving water flow to minimize erosion, and adding a trail.
In addition, the county is spending $3 million to improve a nearby intersection, which will improve access to the park.
The project at Keats and U.S. 61 includes installing a roundabout with six entry and exit lanes. Sandberg said the improvements, including the roundabout, would provide a “solid framework for ongoing future investments.”
He said future improvements to the park may include playgrounds, restrooms, gathering spaces and cross-country ski trails illuminated for evening use.