New trails in store for Washington County

    Washington County residents can expect a few more trails in the coming years. In the last year, there have been improvements to a few existing trails, such as the Kewash Nature Trail signage in Washington and along the highway. Other trails are under construction, and even more are planned for the next few years.

    The Washington County Recreational Trails Committee is responsible for planning and facilitating the creation of the trails in the county. Lyle Moen, the committee?s co-chair, said the committee began as a grassroots group of trail enthusiasts in 2005. Moen said that the group pitched ideas about trails to the Washington County Conservation Board, and held public meetings to get input from the county?s residents. Based on the public input, the group had a landscape architect develop a master plan for new trails. The conservation board adopted the master plan in 2007.

    One of the trails that is under construction is the Wayland Road trail. The first phase of the project, which was to widen the shoulder to four feet from the city of Washington to the intersection with W47, was completed this fall. The shoulder will be widened from W47 to G62 (about six miles south of Washington) next spring. The project is funded in part by the Department of Transportation?s (DOT) Safety Funds, the Washington County Riverboat Foundation and money from the county.

    Moen said he has already received an e-mail from someone who rides his bicycle on that route and is happy the shoulder is being widened. Moen remarked that a number of bicyclists routinely take trips of 20 or 40 miles, and that they appreciate the space given them on the new shoulder.

    The city of Riverside received a grant to build a trail on the abandoned railroad bed in town. The trail will stretch from the west edge of town to Highway 218, and will eventually link to a trail in Johnson County. The trail is expected to be complete by September 2011. The grant to help finance the trail is $50,000 and is from the DNR?s Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) program.

    Moen remarked, ?This is really huge for the city of Riverside Recreational Trail Development since the REAP grants are highly competitive.?

    A trail that is still in the planning stages is the one connecting Richmond and Kalona. Moen said that 95 percent of the planning is done, but that residents will have to wait until 2012 for construction to begin. Presentations have already been made to the Kalona City Council and other interested groups in the area.  

    ?There is a group of individuals in the Kalona area who are excited about the potential of this trail and who are working diligently to get things started,? he said. ?The proposed trail has many natural features to enhance the experience of trail users.?

    Moen said the project will have to wait a few years because the trail is expected to cost about $1.3 million. He said money will come from federal, state and city governments, as well as through grants and private donations. 

    Ainsworth residents will have a new trail in the next year or two. A trail three-quarters of a mile long will connect the town to Marr Park. Moen said the funding for the project is already in place, and that it is coming from the DOT and the Riverboat Foundation. Moen said the width of the trail will be the standard 10-feet and that this trail will be concrete. Some of the other trails may be crushed limestone. 

    Lake Darling State Park is another park that will be connected to a nearby town, in this case, Brighton. The trail would be three miles long. Moen said a local group in Brighton is working with property owners to determine the trail?s route, and that the project is just getting started. Moen said the trail is several years away from becoming a reality.

    ?It?s not uncommon for trail development to take 10 years from beginning to end, from the time the idea is hatched, to the survey work, to the plans to the construction,? said Moen. ?There are numerous environmental and historical approvals that need to be obtained before proceeding, too.?

For more, see our Nov. 15 print edition.