Portion Of Power Trail in Fort Collins to Temporarily Close

Fiber installation will temporarily shut trail between Harmony and Prospect roads

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Fort Collins trail users will need to plan ahead in early March, as a busy stretch of the Power Trail will close for nearly three weeks to allow critical electric grid upgrades. Beginning Monday, March 2, and continuing through Thursday, March 19, Platte River Power Authority will close the Power Trail between Harmony and Prospect roads along Timberline Road while contractors install new fiber-optic cable on overhead transmission lines.

Why it matters

The upgraded cable will improve communication reliability for the regional electric grid and strengthen lightning protection for the system serving Northern Colorado communities, including Fort Collins. While the closure will be an inconvenience for regular Power Trail users, the work has been scheduled as a single, concentrated effort to reduce the overall length of disruption.

The details

According to Platte River, the work involves installing optical ground wire along the top shield wire position of the transmission lines. For safety reasons, the trail will be fully closed during construction, as crews from Sturgeon Electric Company, Inc. will use bucket trucks and other heavy equipment, and the fiber installation requires work at significant heights. Officials say maintaining a clear work zone is essential to completing the project safely and efficiently.

  • The Power Trail will be closed between Harmony and Prospect roads starting on Monday, March 2, 2026.
  • The closure will continue through Thursday, March 19, 2026.

The players

Platte River Power Authority

The regional electric utility that is overseeing the fiber installation project and trail closure.

Sturgeon Electric Company, Inc.

The contractor performing the fiber installation work and using heavy equipment on the Power Trail.

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What’s next

Once the fiber installation is complete, similar work is not expected again for roughly 20 years.

The takeaway

This temporary closure of the Power Trail highlights the need to balance infrastructure upgrades with the convenience of local trail users. While the project will improve the regional electric grid, the community will need to adapt to the short-term disruption to an important recreational asset.