Safety concerns on Liberty Trail

A one-mile section of the Liberty Parkway Trail, a popular walking and biking trail in Broken Arrow, has been closed since June 2025 because engineers determined that it is no longer safe due to a failing retaining wall.

Unfortunately, despite the closure, the barricades positioned on each side of the trail between Aspen Avenue and Elm Place have been moved out of the way.

"Every time I have visited the site, we have had visitors, and it's just not safe," said Special Project Manager Jennifer Tillson. "There's a risk the wall could fall, and soon this will be an active construction site, which poses even greater risk. I encourage people to find other trails to use in the meantime."

The full trail spans roughly 9.5 miles and has been in place for more than 20 years. The 807-foot-long retaining wall section between Aspen Ave. and Elm Pl. shows significant signs of wear and aging. At its highest point, the wall is eight feet tall, and at its lowest, it is two feet tall. If the wall were to completely fail, it could cause serious injury or even death to someone running or biking along the trail.

Tillson said city engineers observed bulging on the retaining wall in the spring of 2025.

"We were concerned about the safety and structural integrity of the wall, so we hired an engineering firm to evaluate the wall's condition," she said. "They determined that the trail needed to be closed for safety, because it sounded like a cool breeze could take the wall down, potentially."

The retaining wall is positioned between the Creek Turnpike and Elm Creek, and a tremendous amount of water flows through that section of the trail.

"So, every time it rains, and we've had a lot of rain, especially this summer, the water is getting stuck behind the wall. And because of the buildup of hydrostatic pressure, the wall is now failing."

On June 15, 2026, the City Council awarded a $861,086 construction contract to Cherokee Pride Construction to replace the Liberty Trail Retaining Wall. Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-August and will demolish the existing wall and a section of the nearby trail. The new design includes a reinforced-concrete retaining wall, a walking path, and an improved drainage system. The project is expected to take about four months to complete.

In the meantime, runners, bicyclists, and walkers are urged to explore other trails throughout the city. Additional information, including a map of the Tulsa Regional Trail System is available on the city's website.