Spring rains and snowmelt paused construction in the newest section of the Poudre River Trail west of Interstate 25.

However, work is expected to pick up again this month, bringing the paved trail from Greeley to LaPorte closer to completion.

“We’re about two to four miles from completion,” said Jeffrey Boring, resource specialist with Larimer County, which is partnering with Fort Collins, Greeley and Timnath on the trail.

Fort Collins also recently finished a section of the trail on the west side of Interstate 25, leaving only the hurdle of crossing Interstate 25 to connect the Environmental Learning Center with the trail in Timnath as well as tying together the other side of the Timnath portion to River Bluffs Open Space.

Larimer County is working to negotiate trail easements with land owners in that area and recently worked out a deal for two-tenths of a mile of the future trail. That easement will cost $13,050, of which $10,000 will come from Great Outdoors Colorado. The Larimer County commissioners on Tuesday approved the remaining $3,050 expenditure.

With the newest easement, Larimer County has less than one mile of easement left before it will have the land to finish the rest of the trail, according to Gary Buffington, director of natural resources.

The section Larimer County will complete this summer is three-quarters of a mile with a piece that borders the north side of the Swetsville Zoo and a section that goes under Harmony Road and County Road 5.

Work on that stretch began in March and was expected to be completed in May, but sustained rains and snowmelt that filled the river caused work to halt with the portion about 90 percent complete.

“We hope to get back on the ground and resume the work in the next couple of weeks,” said Boring.

When that is complete, the Poudre River Trail will cover about 38 miles along the river.

“Hopefully within the next few years we’ll get the rest of that built,” said Buffington. “It would be fun to pound the golden stake, that silver stake, somewhere along the way.”

Pamela Johnson: 970-669-5050, ext. 526, johnsonp@reporter-herald.com, www.twitter.com/RHPamelaJ.