Visiting A Pipeline Construction Project On Fort Worth's Trinity Trails Without Elsie Hotpepper

Looking Across Trinity Falls At A Guard

For several weeks now, driving over the Trinity River, via Beach Street, I've noticed some heavy duty heavy equipment activity.

Lots of bulldozers and other pieces of machinery. Plus several white pickups.

White pickups always make me nervous.

Plus, what appeared to be a guard standing near the paved Trinity Trail.

As I drove away from my abode today, to head to Gateway Park to see up close what all that heavy equipment is doing, I flipped open my phone to see that Elsie Hotpepper had called me.

So, on my way to Gateway I called the Hotpepper to see if she wanted to go walking in Gateway Park with me. I got the Elsie Hotpepper is indisposed message.

Heavy Equipment On The Trinity Trail Making Dust Storm

In the first photo above you see the man standing guard at the entry to the area being worked on by heavy equipment. I suspect he is stationed there to prevent any collisions between heavy equipment and bike riders, of which, today, there were many.

While I was still on the south side of the Trinity River I saw the piece of equipment you see in the second photo, going back and forth on the Trinity Trail, under the Beach Street Bridge, then to where a new road has been made for the heavy equipment, then back again, stirring up a lot of dust in the process.

Trail Guard Sign With Trail Guard

As I walked across the dam bridge that causes Trinity Falls, I saw a regular looking car drive up to the trail guard. By the time I was on the levee on the south side of the river I saw that the heavy equipment operator, the trail guard and a man in what looked to be policeman type uniform, heatedly seeming to discuss something.

When I got to the Trail Guard I asked, "What are you constructing here?"

"No." was the Trail Guard's reply.

I don't think he spoke English.

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I then asked if they were putting in a pipeline.

"Si." the Trail Guard said.

A natural gas pipeline I then asked.

"Si." he said again.

Is this the pipeline carrying non-odorized natural gas from the controversial Scott Avenue Chesapeake Energy drill site? Chesapeake backed off from endangering Carter Avenue with this pipeline.

Closeup Look At The Muddy Pipeline Road

But all this pipeline activity is on the opposite side of the freeway from Carter Avenue and the Scott Avenue source of the non-odorized gas that was going to run under Carter Avenue.

The last two photos are giving you a closer look at the "road" that has been punched through on top of the Trinity River levee's south side.

There were a lot of eyes and white pickups in the vicinity of my camera, which made me a bit nervous about my picture taking.

In the last picture a big piece of heavy equipment is heading towards me. I snapped the above photo, then put my camera away. The big piece of heavy equipment heading towards me was carrying a long piece of what looked, to me, to be narrow pipe.

Visiting this gas-related activity up close really did not make it any clearer to me what is being done there. I don't believe I'd seen a wood plank road over mud before. So, I guess seeing that made the walk worthwhile.

I also learned today that, apparently, the paved Trinity River hiking, biking trails are engineered to be able to support heavy equipment without cracking up.