ONE TO BE RESURFACED, ONE NEW TRAIL TO BE BUILT
Two major actions concerning trails–one existing, one new–came out of Monday’s meeting of the Platte County Commission.
*Getting a resurfacing after 20 years in service is the Prairie Creek Greenway Trail, located south of Platte City.
*A new trail to be constructed will also be located just south of Platte City and lead into the city limits. It will be known as the Running Horse Road Trail.
Work to resurface the nearly seven miles of the Prairie Creek Greenway Trail will be performed by Superior Bowen Asphalt Company at a cost of $960,833.
Money for the project will come from the county’s parks capital operations/maintenance fund, which is a function of the county’s quarter cent parks and recreation sales tax.
Prairie Creek Greenway is about a seven-mile long asphalt trail. It has been in service about 20 years, which the parks director says is the average life of an asphalt trail.
“It was built through the parks tax and some sections were built and donated to the parks department by developers,” said Daniel Erickson, who serves as director of parks for the county.
These days, the county’s new trails are built with concrete instead of asphalt, but Erickson said the resurfacing of the Prairie Creek asphalt trail means the trail “will be in good shape for the next 20 years or so.”
Work to resurface the trail is required to be completed “within 60 working days of the notice to proceed,” according to the county’s contract with Superior Bowen.
The main trailhead for Prairie Creek Greenway Trail is located off of Hwy. N, and offers parking and a portable toilet.
From there, users can head north through open fields and former farmland, or east through more wooded terrain.
The trail provides access to the numerous neighboring subdivisions, allowing residents to travel safely off-road and get some outdoor exercise in.
A website known as Traillink.com describes the Prairie Creek trail: “Nestled within the suburban landscape outside Platte City, the Prairie Creek Greenway offers an escape into nature as it runs through fields and forests and across the creek. The trail gives users the chance to experience a variety of wildlife and tranquil scenery along its well-maintained, paved route.”
Erickson said a great thing about trails is that “they are largely universal as far as usage, old and young, everyone uses them. We’re a big supporter of trails.”
RUNNING HORSE ROAD
TRAIL CONSTRUCTION
The new trail to be constructed soon–named the Running Horse Road Trail–will begin at around NW 136th Street and Running Horse Road just south of Platte City.
The trail will extend north from the NW 136th St/Running Horse Road intersection along the east side of Running Horse Road. It will connect to an existing trail at the Platte County Community Center.
The project also includes a new sidewalk along the south side of 136th Street between Timber Park Drive and Running Horse Road.
“It will be an extension of the Prairie Creek Greenway Trail system,” said Erickson.
Cost for construction of the Running Horse Road Trail will be $712,420. The county has entered an agreement with Julius Kaaz Construction Company for construction.
Construction “shall be completed within 75 calendar days from the notice to proceed date,” according to the contract.
“This is a great project, we’re excited about getting started,” Erickson remarked.
This will be a concrete trail, he said.
There will be a crosswalk at the controlled intersection of Running Horse Road and 136th Street, Erickson said.
The goal of this trail is to connect the Prairie Creek Greenway Trail to Platte City’s trail, in particular to create a pathway to the Platte County Community Center North (3101 Running Horse Road) and the Platte City branch of the Mid-Continent Public Library at 2702 NW Prairie View Road.
“It’s a nice connection to make. Some of the work will be expanding existing sidewalk, filling in some areas that don’t currently have a trail, and creating a sidewalk connection into the Timber Park Neighborhood which will lead you to the trailhead,” Erickson said.
