Trestle to Trestle trail wins state grant

Tue May 09 2006
Posted May 9, 2006
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New link will open up 85-mile stretch to bikers By WILLIAM PETROSKI REGISTER STAFF WRITER May 10, 2006 Central Iowa will offer the state's longest stretch of recreational trail after a short link is completed next year that will permit 85 miles of bicycling between the Des Moines area and Jefferson. The Iowa Transportation Commission on Tuesday approved a state grant of $346,739 to help pay for the 3.7-mile Trestle to Trestle Trail, connecting existing trails in Johnston to the Neal Smith Trail in Des Moines. The total cost is $1.4 million, with the rest coming from local and federal sources. The extension will permit bicyclists to traverse on hard-surface trails from downtown Des Moines and Big Creek State Park in northern Polk County to the Raccoon River Valley Trail, which extends to Jefferson in Greene County, said Polk County Engineer Kurt Bailey. Construction will begin in late fall, weather permitting, with completion planned by July 1, 2007. Jack Davis, owner of Irwin's Bikes and Sports in Johnston, said he was elated at the news. Many Johnston-area residents now live close to the Neal Smith Trail but must cross heavy motor vehicle traffic if they want to ride on it. "We have been waiting for this forever. This is going to be great," Davis said. "Most of the people in Johnston will be able to get on a bike trail now in their backyard or down the street and will be able to ride all the way to downtown Des Moines." Others were happy as well. "We're thrilled. We're excited. It's the mother of all connections. We are delighted to get this," said Pat Boddy, director of the Polk County Conservation Board, which sought the state grant. Mark Wyatt, who is executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, said the establishment of connections between recreational trails has become a priority for many bicycling enthusiasts. "Just like roadways connect, you have to have the same type of connectivity with trails," Wyatt said. "You can have a really long trail with no connections, and it is not as much fun to ride on because it doesn't have places where you can go. Bicyclists love loops. They hate retracing back and forth, seeing the same things twice." The Trestle to Trestle Trail gets its name because it will generally run between two old railroad bridge trestles along an abandoned rail line once used by the Inter-Urban Railway Co., said Ken Kerby, superintendent of development for the Polk County Conservation Board. The south end of the trail will begin near the former Target store site on Euclid Avenue in Des Moines. The north end will link to Johnston's trail system north of the trestle bridge that crosses Beaver Creek near Interstate Highway 80. "This will make a really, really big difference for the trail users of Iowa," said Johnston City Administrator Jim Sanders. "This is a major connection that will connect with a lot of different trail systems and will enable a rider to go many, many miles on hard-surface trails." The transportation commission awarded a state grant of $175,000 to the Guthrie County Conservation Board to help pay for installing new asphalt on the existing stretch of Raccoon River Valley Trail in Guthrie County. The work will include the addition of crushed limestone shoulders. [Click on source to see map]