Concrete being poured for Jefferson Street Trail next phase of construction

MT. PLEASANT - Phase 6 of the Jefferson Street Trail is on its way to completion.

Crews began pouring concrete for the new segment of the trail last Thursday. Phase 6 will span just over a mile through Saunders Park, spanning from Warren Street by Henry County Health Center to the Mt. Pleasant Family Aquatic Center.

City Administrator Brent Schleisman, said the total cost for Phase 6 was approximately $477,000. The city obtained two grants from the Iowa Department of Transportation, which contributed $250,000 to the project, as well as a Wellmark Foundation grant of $100,000.

'It's exciting. This is a continuation of a plan that was started in 1989,” Schleisman said.

Once the new segment of the project is finished, the city will have completed just shy of 10 miles of the trail.

'It's always fun to see a plan become reality,” Schleisman added.

The city administrator added that the trail will provide more recreational spaces for residents and will improve safety by separating pedestrians and traffic.

'It's a way to make that part of people's lives more safe,” he said.

Schleisman added the project is expected to be completed by mid-October.