Mount Vernon public works director Eldon Downs and city staff finished a first grading of trail that will connect to the Interurban Trail from Mount Vernon.
Downs said that the grading for this stretch was a test of capabilities for city staff and to see how much time it would take moving forward on the project. The trail will need to be bid for the concrete pouring at a future date.
“We are not anticipating this trail will get to the connection at Irish Lane this year,” Downs said. “The elevations for the trail get a little more challenging as we go west, and we have some need to determine the property lines along ITC towers on where we can go in the future.”
Still, the beginning of the work was shared with the Linn County Trails Association of what had been established near the public works site, and mayor Tom Wieseler said that moving forward on this has helped accomplish at least one of the goals he has set out as mayor, to see that completed.