Construction date start date of April 18 set for Alpena to Cheboygan trail
by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor
The Alpena to Cheboygan Trail Surfacing Project will begin construction April 18, 2011. Bids were opened Nov. 3 and came in nearly 14 percent below the engineer estimates. By the end of the summer, bicyclists, walkers, joggers and horse riding enthusiasts should be enjoying most of the improvements to this truly unique project.
The Alpena to Cheboygan Trail will be surfaced with a 10-foot wide packed crushed limestone with 2-foot shoulders, similar to what was used on the North Central State Trail (NCST) that runs from Gaylord to Mackinaw City. The new surface will be on the former Detroit to Mackinaw Railroad connecting Alpena, Posen, Millersburg, Onaway, Aloha and Cheboygan.
?THIS IS a beautiful rural trail going through farmland, across many rivers and streams, through emergent wetlands, small towns and parks and along the east side of Mullett Lake; this trail is a true gem,? said Emily Meyerson, Trailways Coordinator for the Top of Michigan Trails Council (TOMTC).
?They are going to start construction in Cheboygan and move in segments,? she said. ?They will do one segment at a time and then move on toward Alpena.? The completion date is Sept. 30.
The trail will start on Woodward Avenue in Alpena in order to directly connect with the city of Alpena?s sidewalk system and will then directly connect to the NCST at the Cheboygan Trailhead near Lincoln Street in Cheboygan.
?AFTER MANY months of planning and fundraising, it is exciting to be this close to the start of construction of this great project,? said Onaway city manager Joe Hefele, who volunteered time on the project. ?The fact that we’ve gotten this far is a testament to our many local leaders, who stepped up to the plate when we needed to raise the local match to secure the substantial state and federal funding.?
Included in the surfacing will be new safety signs, access control and mile marker posts. The trail uses determined by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) will stay the same; it will be open for all non-motorized use year round and for snowmobiles from December 1 through March 31.
THIS PROJECT is a true collaboration between two state departments, local government and a not for profit organization. TOMTC led the effort to help assemble a $3.1 million dollar development package.
The DNRE, which owns and manages the trail, has been working with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) who completed the engineering for the project and will be responsible for project oversight.
TOMTC helped create the funding package for the trail project including 60 percent through Federal Transportation Grant, 20 percent from MDOT, 15 percent from DNR
?THERE WERE letters of support from all 22 units of government the trail crosses as well as many other organizations such as the chambers of commerce, economic development agencies, regional planning agencies and the health department. Without this local support and raising 5% of the needed funds locally, the other 95 percent would not have been possible.?
In 2008 the DNRE announced its intention to resurface the entire trail with a targeted completion date of 2011. The contractor is Rieth-Riley Construction. ?To see the communities of northeast Michigan come together and say this is important,? said Meyerson, ?has been amazing.?