Wapsi Trail project will be split into phases

     A $1.4 million trail project connecting Wapsipinicon State Park and the historic Hale Bridge to the City of Anamosa via Shaw Road is moving along nicely.

     On March 7, a public open house was held at the Lawrence Center in Anamosa to give people a chance to review the plans and speak to the trail committee members, as well as the project engineer.

     This project is one of four major initiatives as part of the three-county regional Grant Wood Mississippi River (GWMRR) Parks to People Region. The counties include Jones, Jackson and Dubuque. This is the pilot region for the state’s Parks to People program.

     Parks to People was established to connect local, county, and state parks to users.

     The region received $1.9 million from the state to help complete several projects. However, that money must be matched 5 to 1 by in-kind donations, grants and private funds. The county, as the fiscal agent for the trail project, has applied for and received multiple grants to assist in the costs associated with the trail project. The City of Anamosa has also received a REAP grant from the Iowa DNR to apply to the city’s portion of the trail project.

     Jones County Economic Development Director Dusty Embree said the committee has also received numerous private donations as well.

     The trail, once completed, will be about a mile in length. Due to several factors that are out of the committee’s control, it was decided to divide the project into two phases. The trail will be 10 feet wide, and paved.

     “There were environmental reasons, fundraising reasons, and easement acquisitions,” explained Todd Happel, PE, the project engineer with Anderson Bogert out of Cedar Rapids.

     The route starts at E. Second Street in Anamosa, traveling along Shaw Road. Phase one, which travels along the east side of Shaw Road, stops near the crossing of Stallion Creek. Phase two, on the west side of the road, starts at the crossings and heads toward Wapsi Park and Hale Bridge.

     Happel said no construction would start in 2017, but perhaps in early spring of 2018.

     “There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that needs to be done this year,” said Embree. “There are too many moving parts to this project.”

     Happel anticipates the project being let in December 2017, depending on easement acquisitions.

     Construction of phase two is dependent upon additional funding.

     Of the $1.4 million, Embree estimates they’ve raised roughly $672,000 for the trail project.

     In designing the trail, Happel said they had to work with varied terrain.

     “We spent a lot of effort to avoid trees, or see minimal tree removal,” he said.

     Happel said there are also some wetlands they have to avoid as well.

     The land that the trail will sit on is a combination of right of way and private property that the committee is working on acquiring permanent easements for.

     “The McKeans have been very supportive of the project,” commented Embree of one of the landowners affected.

     In all, Happel said there are seven landowners they have to work with, including the DNR, which owns the property at Wapsi Park.

     “They have been good to work with on this project,” he said of the DNR and park officials.

     Happel and the committee members have been meeting and speaking with the landowners, walking their properties to show them just where the trail would lay.

     “They’ve been very receptive of the project,” he said. “Some people have expressed interest in donating land.” Embree added that it is still an on-going discussion.

     The amount of ground needed from each landowner also varies.

     “We’re trying to minimize the amount of ground needed,” said Happel. Some temporary easements will also be needed to set construction equipment on during the project as well.

     With so many loose ends to tie up, Embree said she has applied for a funding extension from Parks to People, which initially set a June 2017 date for the trail project to be under construction. Parks to People makes up 15 percent of the trail project costs.

     “We’re hopeful,” Embree said of the extension.

     The trail committee members include: Embree, Kris Gobeli, Dennis Murphy, Brad Hatcher, Brad Mormann, Lisa McQuillen, Chuck Bildstein, Lynn Decious, Julie Corpstein, and Nick Weers.

     Embree, Gobeli, Hatcher and Mormann represent Jones County on the Parks to People board. There are four representatives for the three-member counties.

     “Each project being funded also has a committee/board,” said Embree.

     Once the trail is completed, it will be a county-owned project, with the county responsible for maintenance and upkeep.

     If you would like to donate toward the Wapsi trail project, or have any questions, contact Embree at 319-480-7446 or director@jonescountydevelopment.com.