Paving work on Story County’s two main trails — Praeri Rail in the north and Heart of Iowa in the south — is set to happen in the coming year.
According to Mike Cox, director of Story County Conservation, the county is set to let bids in January on paving a new portion of Praeri Rail Trail that will finally finish the connectivity of the trail into the town of Zearing. The county also plans a March bid-letting on paving an existing piece of the Heart of Iowa Trail between Slater and Huxley.
Praeri Rail
The Praeri Rail Trail is 10 1/2 miles of trail that connects the towns of Roland and McCallsburg, and goes east of McCallsburg to U.S. Highway 65. The trail, which follows an abandoned railway, contains both grass and crushed limestone surfaces. The long-term plan for this trail is to have the entire trail paved, and eventually have the trail expanded to connect to Story City.
Heart of Iowa
Heart of Iowa Trail currently connects the communities all across the south side of Story County — Slater, Huxley, Cambridge, Maxwell and Collins. The goal for this trail is to eventually have all of it paved, Cox said.
A piece of that paving is set to happen this coming year. That piece is the connection between Slater and Huxley.