by Cori Hilsgen
If you are one of the many people who frequently walks or rides on the Lake Wobegon Regional Trail, your ride might soon get a little longer.
Organizers of the trail connection from St. Joseph to Waite Park are hoping construction bids can be presented late summer, with construction to begin shortly afterward.
Permits, easements and land have been secured, engineering has been completed and park employees have removed some trees for about 3.2 miles of the paved rail with trail that will connect from the end point in St. Joseph to a location near the River’s Edge Park in Waite Park.
Stearns County Park Director Peter Theismann said they are waiting for the Department of Natural Resources and Minnesota Department of Transportation to approve the plans.
He said he recently spoke with Stearns County Engineer Jodi Teich, and she told him she thought it was realistic that plans for construction bids would be submitted by the end of the summer.
Theismann said the cooperation of different cities and individuals has been important to get to this stage.
“This trail will provide a safe and separate pedestrian/bicycle route for people to travel east to west across town,” he said. “This is an important community asset.”
Theismann said the estimated cost of the trail is $4.9 million and includes the bridge over the Sauk River.
Stearns County, the cities of St. Joseph, Waite Park and St. Cloud each committed $200,000 for the project. Other funds came from federal and state grants and individual donations.
The Lake Wobegan Trail is located on the rail corridor formerly owned by Burlington Northern Railroad. It’s a 62-mile long, 10-foot wide bituminous-surfaced pedestrian/bicycle trail that opened, on its western portion, in 1998. It extends through Stearns and Todd counties.
The trail was originally the idea of the Albany Jaycees, who spent many hours raising funds and gathering needed area support. Other area organizations helped with completion of the trail. Planning for the trail began in 1994 and fundraising began in 1995.
Previous Lake Wobegon Regional Trail completion dates include the following:
• 1998-Avon to Sauk Centre
• 2003-Albany to Holdingford and Avon to St. Joseph
• 2005-Holdingford to Stearns/Morrison County line
• 2007-Sauk Centre to Todd County
Some trail mileage includes the following: St. Joseph to Avon-9 miles, Avon to Albany-6.3 miles, Albany to Freeport-5.3 miles, Freeport to Melrose-6 miles, Melrose to Sauk Centre-9.5 miles, Sauk Centre to West Union-8 miles, West Union to Osakis-5 miles, Albany to Holdingford-9.4 miles, Holdingford to Bowlus-7 miles, Bowlus to Mississippi River’s Blanchard Dam-4 miles and Mississippi River to Hwy. 10-2 miles.
Possible future construction of the trail to the Mississippi River, connecting various trails, would create nearly 600 miles of paved rail trails in Central Minnesota. These include the following:
• Connecting the ROCORI Trail to the Glacial Lakes trail southwest of St. Cloud and to the Lake Wobegon Trail.
• Connecting the Minnesota State Veterans Trail to the Paul Bunyan and Heartland Trails from Brainerd to Bowlus and to the Lake Wobegan Trail.
Future trail plans would also link the Beaver Island Trail in St. Cloud to the Warner Lake County Park.
This year’s events to be held on the trail include the June 10 Caramel Roll Ride, June 17 Lady Slipper Nature Ride, Sept. 9 Caramel Apple Ride and Regional Trail Ride and more.
For additional information, visit the website lakewobegontrail.com.