Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation

City: Canton, La Grange, Lewis County.    Route: Business 61/ Highway 'B'    Location: Eastern Lewis County, in northeast Missouri, is the area to receive benefit of the proposed project. The towns of La Grange (pop.1,000) and Canton (pop.2,547) form part of a corridor that begins in the south at Wakonda State Park and ends at Canton?s n

Type: Shoulder, Bicycle Lane, Curb cuts/ramps

Description:
Great River Road. Connect with paved shoulders: Wakonda State Park, LaGrange and Canton('s) Mississippi River Park and ferry. The goal of the project is to create a new opportunity for outdoor exercise by creating paved shoulders on Business 61 (highway B), to provide a firm and safe pavement for alternative forms of transportation, specifically, walking and bicycling. (A3) Wakonda State Park, a facility managed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, is the ideal southern terminus as it represents opportunity for outdoor recreation through swimming, walking trails, fishing and bird watching. Other resources included in this project zone are direct access to Canton?s Mississippi Park, a boat launch facility managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation and the United States Corp of Engineer Lock and Dam 20. Also, access to Illinois via the Canton Ferry is from the same location. The north terminus of the project would be the north Canton levy wall.

Importance:
In rural Missouri, once heavily trafficked main highways have been replaced by high-speed interstates, roads that by-pass rural communities. More people in these rural areas are seeking opportunities for outdoor exercise. The outcome of this project will serve as a model, changing the stigma of a car/truck mentality of a ?business route? by modifying existing infrastructure to safely accommodate bicycles and pedestrian.

Obstacles:
The southbound shoulder has some curb issues. Fortunately they(2) are minor and fairly short. Money for the project has been estimated at $608,000 for the 10 mile stretch. A grant for $300,000 has been initially submitted with the Missouri Foundation for Health / Active and Healthy Communities. It is hoped to hear of an award in mid March.

Map

Top 8 Project
Top 100 Project

Facility Type(s):
·Shoulder
·Bike Lane
·Curb Ramp

School:
·Bicycle
·Pedesrian
·ADA