Sedalia losing a mile of the Katy Trail; on-road detour planned | Sedalia Democrat

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

A mile-long portion of the Katy Trail between Griessen Road and Boonville Avenue is being torn out, exposing the railroad track beneath, in an agreement for use with a commercial property, once known as Alcolac, and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

According to DNR, “the Alcolac site is located on approximately 227.78 acres at 24732 Randall Rd. in Sedalia. In 1977, Alcolac began operating a specialty chemicals manufacturing facility at the site. Alcolac was acquired by RTZ Corp. in the 1980s and later purchased by Rhone-Poulenc SA in 1989. In 1999, Rhone-Poulenc spun Rhodia Inc. off as a new company. Alcolac is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rhodia Inc.”

Pettis County Eastern Commissioner Brent Hampy said in a telephone interview Friday from Phoenix, Arizona, that a new owner wants to refurbish the vacant buildings on the property, which needs the railroad spur connected to Katy Trail State Park.

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Sedalia losing a mile of the Katy Trail; on-road detour planned | Sedalia Democrat

MoBikeFed comment: It is unfortunate that this section of the Katy in Sedalia is being taking back for railroad use. Sedalia already has one of the longest single breaks in the trails, and now that break will be significantly longer.

Local advocates and city officials in Sedalia have a plan to fix the trail gaps in the city, creating a continuous trail experience through the entire city, and closing the longest existing gap in the Katy Trail.

They have acquired land for the new trail segment but are now searching for funding to complete the new section of trail.

The gap is not only the longest trail gap on the Katy Trail, but potentially the longest in the entire Katy/Rock Island Trail system once that is completed in a few years.

The other significant gaps:

- Jackson County - Pleasant Hill: (about 5 miles, though some is bridged already and progress is being made on the rest)

- Pleasant Hill: the trail uses a portion of Hwy 58 for less than mile to bypass a railroad overpass

- Washington - Beaufort: The portion of the Rock Island RR corridor that Ameren is transferring to MO State Parks ends at Beaufort, about 6 miles from Washington, which is itself a few miles south of the Katy Trail. However, work is in progress to fill all of those gaps, potentially creating a seamless Katy-Rock Island Trail connection at Washington.

- The Sedalia Katy Trail gap