Kewash Trail paving slated for later this year

The next phase of upgrades to the Kewash Nature Trail is expected to begin later this year.

The planned upgrade is the paving of the trail from west of Willow Pond to the Crooked Creek Bridge.

'By getting the concrete in, it will help with accessibility,” Washington County Conservation Board Executive Director Zack Rozmus said.

He explained that the current unpaved trail can make it difficult for people on bicycles or who use other modes of mobility to access the area, especially when there has been inclement weather.

'The Crooked Creek Bridge is a historical site in Washington County,” Rozmus said. 'This will make it easier for people to access the bridge.”

The COVID-19 pandemic caused some delays to the project.

'The timeline has been affected by COVID,” Rozmus said. 'This was supposed to be in the spring of 2021.”

The new timeline calls for the bid to be let in June, with construction to follow.

'We're looking at a late summer or early fall completion,” he said.

The estimated cost of the project is $550,000.

The conservation board received a $317,000 Transportation Alternatives Program grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation for the project. They also received a $25,000 grant from the Wellmark Foundation.

Rozmus said that the remaining money for the project will come from private contributions and the Washington County Conservation Board's capital projects fund.