The Dallas County Conservation Board has been awarded $1 million to complete the remaining four miles of the Raccoon River Valley Trail to High Trestle Trail connector, the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) announced Monday.
The federal funding derives from the American Rescue Plan Act and is administered at the state level by the IEDA. The connector-trail project will close the gap of the 120-mile continuous loop of trail and connect the state’s two most popular trails.
With these grant funds, existing local funds and at least one more grant to come in, we are in a great position to complete the Raccoon River Valley Trail to High Trestle Trail Connector project,” said Mike Wallace, executive director of the Dallas County Conservation Board. “It is anticipated that most of the final 4 miles could be completed in 2023. The final mile or so could be completed in 2024.”
The RRVT-HTT connector is one of four projects around the state to share $16.5 million in grant funding?through the Destination Iowa program.