An erosion problem under the River Street bridge that requires a multimillion-dollar repair is also presenting an opportunity for a long-sought connection between Weldon Peete and RiverWalk at Mitch McConnell parks.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is planning to build a $2.3 million concrete wall under the bridge on the north shore of the Barren River to deal with erosion.

The city of Bowling Green and others have in recent years looked at ways to better link the two parks on either side of the busy road on the bridge, and came up with the idea to build a path beneath it.

“We knew the state was doing the work and we envisioned a possible connector for the parks,” said Bowling Green Public Works Director Greg Meredith.

The state agreed to make the path part of the overall project.

Joe Plunk, chief district engineer for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s District 3 Office in Bowling Green, said the wearing away of the north bank under the bridge has been going on for 20 years but does not pose a threat to motorists or pedestrians on the bridge.

“The whole shore could wash away and the bridge (which is moored in solid bedrock beyond the river bank) would still be sitting there,” Plunk said.

Still, the state has set aside $2.33 million this year for the project, which will entail building a concrete “scour wall” along the bank. The 8-foot-wide path will be built on top of the wall underneath the bridge.

The designs are being finalized.

“Our goal is to bid the project this summer,” Plunk said, with work starting later this year or next spring, depending on weather.

All of the work will be done underneath the bridge, meaning there should be no significant impact on travel on the bridge.

“The traveling public should not even know it’s happening,” Plunk said.

City Parks and Recreation Department Director Brent Belcher said a separate project will be needed to connect the current greenways at the two parks to the underpass.

The underpass is part of a planned widespread revitalization of the area along the Barren River. Area property owners have unveiled plans to develop riverfront restaurants, upscale apartments overlooking the river, new mixed-use developments, bike trails, boardwalks and an outdoor music venue.

Renaming what was, until recently, Old Louisville Road to River Street is part of that effort.

The Bowling Green Riverfront Foundation has also been working for several years to develop the area as a center for things like whitewater boating, rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking and trail running under the name: Barren River Outdoors Center.

Weldon Peete is a county park and Mitch McConnell is a city park, but both the city and county are supporting the effort.

While the city’s fiscal year 2019 budget allocates $250,000 for the path portion of the project, Plunk said because the final design is not complete, the actual cost of the underpass portion has not been finalized.

“We’ll have to look at what the bids will come in at,” Meredith said of the chance that the underpass portion could cost more than $250,000.

Plunk said, however, that the state and city are committed to the project: “We’ll do everything we can” to have it built, he said.

Belcher likewise said the path is a key part of the broader plans for the city.

“Part of the future of Bowling Green is the development of that area,” he said.