10/14/13 Holmes Trail TAPs into OHIO funds for repairs

  • By Nick Sabo
  • October 9, 2013
  • 425
                        
SUMMARY: Trail gets $230,218 in Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) dollars Ohio Department of Transportation dollars used for alternatives to motorized traffic will fund repairs to the Holmes County Trail next year. Holmes County Park District director Jen Halverson informed the park board Tuesday Oct. 8 that ODOT has awarded the district $230,218 in Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) dollars. The TAP funds will go toward resurfacing projects, Halverson said. A 20 percent local match will be paid for by the Rails to Trails Coalition, according to Halverson. Halverson said repairs to the trail surface will address ‘troughing’ on the horse traffic side of the trail, smoothing of a lip between the buggy side and recreational side of the trail, and eliminate switchbacks. Damage from roots may also be addressed as part of the project, Halverson said. “There are ridges near the observation deck area that might be under the trail, it could be tree roots,” Halverson said. “We’re going to look under the trail at some trees that might be around and see where the roots are coming from.” The work is scheduled to start in in spring 2014, Halverson said. The Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) provides funds for projects that advance non-motorized transportation and recreational facilities, historic transportation preservation, and environmental aspects, according to ODOT’s website. A total of $10.5 million was awarded in the most recent round of TAP funding. In other business, Halverson said electricity has been hooked in to the U.S. 62 trail underpass tunnel. American Electric Power installed LED lighting activated by outside sensors at the tunnel in August. The combination of the sensors and LED lights should make the new tunnel, located near Brinkhaven, more energy-efficient than the trail’s other tunnel, located near Holmesville, which uses older lighting technology. Halverson said she is considering looking into LED technology for the Holmesville tunnel if the new tunnel is seeing lower electric bills. The lights will hopefully cut down on vandalism at the new tunnel as well. Halverson said vandals have painted graffiti at the tunnel twice. The graffiti from the first instance has been removed. The new graffiti has yet to be removed and will be part of the contractor’s duties in finishing out the tunnel project. The tunnel is part of an undeveloped section of trail running from Glenmont to Killbuck. The Glenmont to Killbuck section of the trail will probably be completed last, Halverson said, because it is the most difficult piece in terms of construction. The tunnel is a box culvert 11 feet high by 116 long. A small section of trail was also completed as part of the tunnel project.


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