Here’s an update on a rails-to-trails project in Pittsburg, Kansas:
Although it seems work on transforming former railroads near downtown into hiking and biking trails has been in progress since 2005, the real work dates back decades.
There are numerous obstacles to the project, making it difficult to turn rails into trails from First and Georgia streets to 11th and Broadway streets.
As designed years ago, the project has received plenty of financial support. The project has netted grants through the Skubitz Foundation, the Sunflower Foundation and the Pritchett Trust.
Further adding to the progress is help from Pittsburg State. Students in the Department of Construction Management are working on designs and implementation plans for creating a trailhead for the Rails to Trails project.
Ultimately, Kennemer couldn’t put a timeline on when the project would be completed, but said things are moving in the right direction. “It’d be nice to have it done by the spring or summer, but I thought that would be the case last year,” Kennemer said. “We’ve got four to five different groups involved. A lot of the problem is just getting everyone on the same page at the same time.
“We’ll just have to piecemeal it at a time. We’ll do what we can when we can and where we can.”
Read more from the Pittsburg Morning Sun:
I’m not sure what the name is of the Pittsburg Rails-to-Trails project; it’s not listed in the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy directory. I’m also not sure if this is the same project described in Hike-and-Bike Path Coming To Pittsburg, or a different one…
According to the Sunflower Foundation, they awarded a $10,000 to the City of Pittsburg “to build a 5,400′ long, 10′ wide compacted gravel and asphalt trail from Georgia Street to Broadway Avenue.”
Post tags: Pittsburg
