Multi-county trail starting construction soon
By kelly Rocheleau |
PUBLISHED: April 18, 2016 at 1:43 p.m. | UPDATED: June 17, 2021 at 6:13 a.m.
A 40-mile motorless path through mid-Michigan, in dream and development stages for almost a decade, is finally nearing reality.
The planned path, running through Ithaca, Alma and St. Louis in Gratiot County, will continue through Shepherd to Mt. Pleasant then north to Rosebush and Clare.
While construction has already begun on the path from Ithaca to Alma, the portion of the path that connects from Shepherd to Mt. Pleasant still needs to be done, Steve Davidson, Shepherd's Public Works superintendent, said.
Bidding on companies to handle that part of the project is expected to start at the end of May, with an eye to start construction in June.
"Our overall goal is to connect the communities," Davidson said.
Getting funding for the project is expected to wrap up in a few weeks, as the project still has to receive a couple grants, Davidson said.
He said the trail will eventually connect to the Fred Meijer Rail Trail in Alma and to the Pere Marquette Rail Trail in Clare.
The overall project will have about 40 miles of trail, Davidson said.
The project was first proposed about eight to 10 years ago, but financial difficulties within the state made it to difficult to secure funding until a couple years ago.
kelly Rocheleau