NEBRASKA CITY – Trail advocates credited a long-term vision and steady planning at a ribbon cutting Friday for the latest segment of Nebraska City’s blueprint for a five-mile recreational trail.

The $630,000 segment covers 7/10s of a mile from the North Table Creek bridge on 11th Street to an intersection near the softball complex that can be expanded to go to the proposed sports complex and existing wellness center.

 

Alex Duryea, Nebraska Game and Parks recreational trail manager, expects up to 30 trail applications this year for competitive grant funding as communities look to add pathways through nature.

Duryea: “It’s a big component of livability within your community. It also helps reinforce community health . It gives people places to go outside and enjoy nature and also a place to exercise and recreate and just spend time with loved ones.”

JEO Consulting Group trail designer Scott Hrabik said the project involved a lot of utility relocations, ADA compliant slopes, drainage features and three street crossings, but winding along the creek resulted in eye appeal.

 

 Future segment would connect to wellness center

Hrabik: “Really there was a natural cut out with some of the tree lines. It just provided for, actually, a pretty, easy simple design.”

Tom Farrell of the city’s Trail Committee thanked donors at Friday’s ribbon cutting and said the finished product makes the six-year process worth it.

 

Farrell: “I had a guy I’ve known for a very long time, who rides his bike all over Nebraska City, came up and thanked me. Well, I’m not the person to thank, it’s all of us. He said this just makes my bike riding so much easier, thank you. Ah, it melted my heart a little bit.”

Nebraska City’s current trail goes through Steinhart Park and includes a pedestrian bridge. Future segments would connect Arbor Lodge with Kimmel Orchard and use the Fourth Corso viaduct to connect Kearney Hill neighborhoods to the downtown.

 

https://rivercountry.newschannelnebraska.com/story/52599013/committee-pursues-fourth-corso-trail-to-kearney-hill