Big cracks caused by drought have forced officials to bar bicycles from three recreational trails in southeast Nebraska.

the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District on Wednesday closed stretches of the MoPac East Trail, the Oak Creek Trail and the Homestead Trail.

The closures amount to about 50 miles of trails. Notices have been posted in kiosks and signs will be posted soon.

The district’s Dan Schulz says the cracks are worse than those that occur in the limestone-surfaced trails every summer. Some are a couple of inches wide and more than 3 feet deep.

He says the drought caused the cracks, which pose a hazard to bicyclists. The trails remain open to walkers.