The committee anticipates that the trail will be located on the north side of the river and stretch from Center Avenue westward through industrial land, onto an abandoned railroad corridor crossing the Prairie River and then through a yet to be determined route continue on to the park. It is possible that a combination of having the path running through industrial areas and on-street bike routes will make up the rest of the trail.
The program's Wisconsin manager, Angie Tornes, stated that she selected the Merrill application because it demonstrated "outstanding community support that, along with the invaluable assets of the beautiful Wisconsin and Prairie rivers and existing infrastructure, provided the raw resources from which to create a beautiful and historically rich riverfront trail."
Many people are looking forward to the planning project, hoping to finally see progress toward a goal that has been discussed for over a decade.
The committee described the multiple benefits of the future trail including providing a safe, mostly off-road connection between Council Grounds and downtown Merrill as an alternative to Highway 64; the potential economic spin-offs resulting from increased access of tourists to downtown; increased quality of life for Merrill residents by obtaining direct access to the riverfront; increased physical activity; attractiveness of an alternative route for commuting to work or play; the provision of a shared, common open space for social interaction; a pleasant recreating experience for all ages and physical abilities; an environmentally natural area for understanding the various riverside ecosystems; and the opportunity to develop a "sense of place" from learning about area's history.
The committee hopes that the trail will be the start of a network of trails running from the city to different destinations.
People who are interested in supporting trail development are invited to join the new "Friends of the River District" group for an annual fee of $10. For more information on the group, contact Sharon Anderson at 715-536-9166 or via email at anderson1969@frontier.com or Chris Malm at 715-539-8166 or malmca@msn.com.
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