New bike path opens in Jasper County
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| A crew from Jasper Construction lays down a limestone surface on a bike trail between Monroe and Prairie City. The former Iowa Interstate Railroad bed extends 5.7 miles from Monroe to 2 miles east of Prairie City, and will eventually connect with Lake Red Rock and the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. |
Local bicyclists now have a new bike trail to ride, thanks to the Jasper County Conservation Board.The former Iowa Interstate Railroad bed, 5.7 miles from Monroe to the intersection of Highway F62 and 163, was obtained by the county as payment in kind for a switching station north of Newton. The property lay dormant for several years until Conservation Board Director Kari Van Zante obtained a grant from the Department of Transportation to develop the trail. The Surface Transportation Program’s Transportation Enhancement grant provided an 80/20 match with the county, nearly $71,000 on a final bid of $88,905 for the trail.
Van Zante said the long-range plan for the trail is to connect with Lake Red Rock’s Volksweg Trail, giving cyclists the opportunity to bike around the lake and on into Pella, and also connect with the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge.
Because Iowa Interstate Railroad has chosen to keep its rail line from the Highway F62/163 intersection on to the west, Van Zante said the trail extension would follow Highway 163 right-of-way on into Prairie City.
The trail is being completed in several phases. Currently, it has been paved with 2 inches of limestone rock, and Van Zante said an additional 4 inches will eventually be added, making for a smoother ride. Phases 3 and 4 will take the trail into Prairie City. Van Zante said the project has no definitive timeline, but completion will depend on obtaining grants.
“People have wanted this for a long time, so I’m glad it’s finally getting started,” Van Zante said.
