$10 million trail expansion connecting Madison, St. Clair counties opens after years of planning
A first-of-its-kind trail connecting Madison County and St. Clair County opened Saturday after almost 15 years in the making.
An estimated 150 people attended the ribbon-cutting at the new parking lot of the $10 million Madison County Transit Goshen Trail extension in O’Fallon, connecting the city with the city of Troy through 7 miles of scenery and asphalt.
“This day has been a long time coming,” said Madison County Transit Managing Director Jerry Kane, who jokingly called the trail, which was originally proposed in 2003, the “It’s Finally Open Trail.”
The trail stretches from Frontage Road in Troy to Kyle Road in O’Fallon. It is roughly 10 feet wide and came as a result of years’ worth of collaborative work between St. Clair and Madison counties, the Metro East Parks and Recreation board and several municipalities.
The extension, which was executed by Keller Construction, also connects to the MCT Schoolhouse Trail just south of IL-162; the MCT Ronald J. Foster Heritage Trail in Glen Carbon; and the MCT Nickel Plate Trail, MCT Nature Trail and MCT Watershed Trail — all of which are located in or near Edwardsville.
“This project is an example of intergovernmental cooperation at its best,” Kane said.
Funding for the long-awaited trail came from several federal grants, St. Clair County and Madison County Transit, state funds, the Metro East Park District and the city of O’Fallon.
Here’s how the funding was split up between organizations:
Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program: $6,518,330.
Metro East Park & Recreation District: $1,250,912.
St. Clair County Transit District: $2,000,000.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources (OSLAD Grant): $174,704.
City of O’Fallon: $25,000.
The project itself was made possible by the federal rail banking act, which allows communities to build trails on out-of-service railroads in an effort to preserves corridors. Other land needed to make the trail a reality was acquired over more than 15 years by gathering ownership of the required properties.
According to an MCT official, a survey on the trail from several years ago estimated that the trail could be used by roughly 115,000 cyclists, joggers and others every year.
Barb Hohlt, the current president of the Metro East Parks and Recreation Board and the executive director of the St. Clair County Health Department, said the park is an investment in transit and in the health of residents of both counties.
She said the completion of the Goshen Trail Extension fulfilled one of the MEPRB’s primary goals in its long-term planning.
“Our role is to look at it at a regional level and to help connect the dots,” Hohlt said. “This is one of the first projects on the strategic plan and one of our biggest projects, so it’s awesome to see this come to fruition.”
She lauded the efforts of the many different county agencies and municipalities that had a hand in completing the trail.
“It takes a lot of work and a lot of people,” she said. “Sometimes when you look at a project and you say, ‘There are too many people in this project, and I’m going to take my ball and go home.’ Well, we’ve got our ball right here.”
Dozens of walkers, runners, bikers and area officials were ready to enjoy the new trail at the ribbon-cutting. Kaysie and Nathan Armes, who recently moved into a nearby neighborhood, walked their dogs, Micah and Chloe, on the new path.
The pair said the path was one reason they moved to the neighborhood in O’Fallon, and they believe it adds value to their home.
“It feels secluded,” Kaysie Armes said. “As soon as I found out about the trail I said, ‘This is a good place to live.’”
“It’s a really nice wooded area,” Nathan Armes said, adding that it gave the two a place to take their dogs on extended walks on a regular basis.
Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler agreed with that notion, but he extended the growth in value to the region. He called the extension a “long-term” asset to both counties that will benefit residents.
He said the trail bolsters the two counties’ health and tourism goals, while adding value to the areas through which it runs.
Taulby Roach, CEO and president of Bi-State Development, called the new trail another “thread,” connecting the two counties’ transit efforts.
“A bike trail is a thread that literally connects the fabric of our communities,” he said. “A big part of our work is asking, ‘How do we move people?’ We move people through successful projects like this, and especially successful partnerships like this.”
This story was originally published November 16, 2019 at 4:14 PM.