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Greg Harris: What's the current status of the statewide Rock Island Trail?

Submitted by Brent Hugh on Wed, 02/04/2015 - 10:30am

MoBikeFed member Greg Harris recently attended the informational meeting about the proposed Rock Island Trail, and created this summary of the current situation of the Trail, that was published in Saturday's Rolla Daily News;

The Rock Island Trail State Park will be a rail-trail like the Katy Trail State Park, likewise preserving the rail corridor as a linear park.
Greg Harris
Trail construction is underway on the five mile Section One that runs from Pleasant Hill to Wingate, near suburban Kansas City. The 42 mile Section Two from Wingate to Windsor is to be transferred to the MO Department of Natural Resources in February, 2015. This segment will be developed as soon as possible to connect to the Katy Trail at Windsor. That will allow non-motorized travel from metro St. Louis to metro Kansas City on a nearly flat trail.
The 144 mile Section Three runs from Windsor to Beaufort, near Union. It will go through Cole Camp, Stover, Versailles, Eldon, Freeburg, Belle, Bland, Owensville, Rosebud and Gerald, with scenic bridges over the Gasconade and Osage rivers. A special attraction will be the 900 foot tunnel that runs under Freeburg. That’s as long as three football fields.
Nearby landowners are understandably concerned about converting a rail line - that has been fallow for thirty years - to a trail that will attract users from all over the world. The right-of way splits some farms and is near some homes. It will definitely change the character of their property. However, their property values will rise. The DNR will provide fencing upon request and allow farmers to build trail crossings. The Katy Trail Economic Impact Report estimates 400,000 users per year over its 237 miles, with minimal negatives to neighbors. The Rock Island Trail will benefit grocery stores, restaurants and other hospitality and tourism-related businesses. New businesses will spring up. Illegal dumps will be cleaned up and illegal activity will be reduced.
Freeburg Tunnel - This will become part of the Rock Island Trail when it is complete
Communities along the trail have formed the non-profit Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc. to coordinate and optimize trail development. It has a Facebook page and is creating a web page. The Katy Trail was developed with help from major donors like the late Ted Jones. The Rock Island Trail will require significant public-private partnerships to be a success. To learn more, go to the Facebook page of Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc.