Officials with the City of Morehead heard updates on a long-awaited trail project last month.
Daniel Boone Rails to Trails has been at work on a city-wide walking trail for several years. As funding is called into question, the organization has asked city and county officials for help paying for a key piece.
The City of Morehead obtained a $250,000 grant for the trail in early 2020, and the comprehensive project was ready to begin. Then, inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic more than doubled the price tag.
In a presentation to Morehead City Council, Scott Davison with Daniel Boone Rails to Trails said they have decided to narrow their focus solely to a walking bridge. Based on approximate bids, Davison said they might be less than $50,000 short.
“That’s not a firm number yet, they’re still working on it. And they’re trying to do this as quickly as possible, because we have to spend the grant funds by the end of the calendar year. And we’re trying to get an exception on that, too,” said Davison. “But we’re frustrated and doing our best, because we’re trying to throw all our money at this trying to make a difference and do something that makes that phase one possible. But the bridge is where we are stuck.”
According to a 2016 survey of residents and community members, Davison said trails and walkability were expressed as one of the biggest needs.
“That's a priority expressed by the community. We know that if you have a trail, it makes a difference economically, connecting people in a new way, creates new business opportunities for food trucks and things like that. It’s a livability index if you have a trail that goes from one place to another. Companies want to know that you have that kind of thing. That’s a piece of infrastructure,” said Davison.
If completed, the bridge would provide dedicated walking and biking access over Triplett Creek by the recycling center, allowing residents to better travel the city by foot.