Today officials from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and Ameren signed an "interim trail use agreement" that allows the 144 miles of the Rock Island railroad corridor between Windsor and Beaufort to move towards development as Rock Island Trail State Park in the near future.
The agreement today railbanks the 144-mile section of the corridor and puts it on track for trail development within two years--if all goes well.
This is the most significant single step we have seen in moving towards Rock Island Trail State Park. Though there is still significant work to be done, the signing today shows a very significant commitment on the part of both State Parks and Ameren Missouri to move forward with the transfer of the corridor and the creation of the Rock Island Trail State Park.
Rock Island Trail supporters react
"Missouri is incredibly lucky; corridors of this type are few and far between. That's why we've been working so hard alongside our partners in the state to protect this corridor and its potential to become a world-class trail," said Eric Oberg, director of trail development for Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's (RTC's) Midwest Regional Office.
