Full speed ahead on Shiloh’s Three Springs trail

After being in the works since 2012, Shiloh is finally approaching the precipice of starting work on the long awaited Three Springs Lake Pedestrian Trail.

“We don’t have a hard date for starting construction just yet, but it’s coming very very soon,” John Marquart, village administrator said.

Lebanon’s Christ Brothers Asphalt Inc.’s. project manager Aaron Christ said, “the project is awesome, and he looks forward to moving forward.”

With initial construction estimated at $333,335 as of Sept. 17, 2012, now the cost is slightly lower at $327,798 with Christ Brothers being the lowest of the three bidders, and was officially awarded the bid on August 1 by the Village Board of Trustees during the Regular Board meeting.

“We are going throught the standard protocol process before beginning any excavation, such as insurance and bond paperwork has to be provided and approved. Also it is common to hold a pre-construction meeting with the owner or municipality first, which we anticipate should happen any day now when the village is ready,” Christ said.

He said he anticipates construction to begin in about a month, tentatively.

“I know the completion date has been set for on or around November 18, so it’s right around the corner,” Christ said.

The trail is to be a 10-foot wide trail that is 1.2 miles in length and asphalted. There is a planned linking sidewalk connector to go from the parking lot to the trail for ease of access, according to the design plans.

Located in the western portion of Three Springs Park Lake the trail will run around the lake and back to towards Three Springs Park, which is located at 2250 Frank Scott Parkway.

Marquart confirmed this project is a part of the village’s long term Planned Unit Development for future expansion.

For example, in the application it is stated that the trail will connect the corridor connecting Frank Scott Parkway to the north with Lebanon Avenue and beyond to the south, and in turn, will connect Three Springs Park to the planned O’Fallon-Shiloh-Belleville trail, the existing corridors, and other Shiloh parks like the Community Dog Park.

The trail has been designed to meet American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) standards, and is in accordance with the American with Disabilities Act of 1990.

So, the trail will not only accomodate adults and youth, but also individuals utililizing wheelchairs, walkers or strollers. Areas will be provided along the trail for those needing to pull off the trail to rest as well.

“Three Springs Park is one of Shiloh’s largest and most widely used parks for both passive and active recreation,” the grant application states, which was completed by village staff.

Bryan Werner, Metro East Park and Recreation District planner, said MEPRD has not recieved any other grant applications for this particular project.

“Many years ago the request was approved, and it’s important to understand there is a difference between an award and a payment or payout,” Werner said.

The Village of Shiloh was applied and was approved in 2012 for the Fiscal Year of 2013 under the MEPRD FY13 Park and Trail Grant Matching Program award, not to exceed $300,000.

It is stipulaed in the grant application that the village will be responsible for 75 percent of the project after completion in the amount of $250,016.25 and the MEPRD grant covers 25 percent of the project cost in the amount of $83,338.75.

“No payment will be made until the project is 100 percent complete,” Werner said.

Werner said it’s difficult to pinpoint causes of project delays.

“All projects have lots of hurdles to overcome, and it’s hard to compare any two projects, and you can’t compare different projects with saying they are apples and apples because they are not,” he said.

Every municipality is different and affected by varying factors, Werner sai.

“We are familiar with challenges involved and there are many factors that come into play with specific projects like cost, weather, the design process or local ordinances,” he said.

This story was originally published August 23, 2016 at 2:09 PM with the headline "Full speed ahead on Shiloh’s Three Springs trail."