Rails-to-Trails to get Ohio to Erie signs
Patrons of Ohio’s Rails-to-Trails will recognize new signage along the Holmes County Trail.
Jen Halverson, Holmes County park director, informed the park board Friday, May 27, that the Ohio to Erie Trail Coalition has secured funding for signs for trail systems in Holmes, Wayne and Knox counties. The funds will be used to purchase uniform signage to be placed along finished sections of the Ohio to Erie Trail.
Though the park district won’t have much say in the way of design, they will for verbiage and placement. Halverson said the signs will probably be placed near staging areas along the trail route.
“There’s room for a message, and we’ll probably put information there about how far it is to the next town,” Halverson said. “That’s something we get asked a lot, how far is it to the next stop. People know their limits, they know they can go eight miles and this way they can keep track of it.”
The signs will identify the trail as part of the Ohio to Erie and display the name of the trail system. Space will be left for the mile postings and village name, Halverson said.
In other business, Halverson said the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) struck down a suggestion to close U.S. Route 62 South while a tunnel below the roadway is constructed.
Fully closing the road would have saved money by speeding up construction, Halverson said. However, ODOT could not come up with a practical route for heavy truck traffic after considering state routes 520 and 514.
The tunnel is currently in the design stages and is estimated at $1.1-$1.2 million. It will be similar to the box-culvert tunnel near Holmesville.
Halverson said many “to do” items on a punch list for the trail were completed last fall and this spring. Volunteers have painted three wood bridges, and bollards have been removed from all points of egress that do not have direct motor access. The bollards were originally installed to prevent motor vehicle traffic from getting onto the trail and were designed to be low enough for a buggy to pass over. The elimination of the bollards makes for “open” and less constricted traveling, Halverson said.
Halverson said a volunteer clean-up day May 21 at the Millersburg Depot included floral plantings and other light maintenance.
Jen Halverson, Holmes County park director, informed the park board Friday, May 27, that the Ohio to Erie Trail Coalition has secured funding for signs for trail systems in Holmes, Wayne and Knox counties. The funds will be used to purchase uniform signage to be placed along finished sections of the Ohio to Erie Trail.
Though the park district won’t have much say in the way of design, they will for verbiage and placement. Halverson said the signs will probably be placed near staging areas along the trail route.
“There’s room for a message, and we’ll probably put information there about how far it is to the next town,” Halverson said. “That’s something we get asked a lot, how far is it to the next stop. People know their limits, they know they can go eight miles and this way they can keep track of it.”
The signs will identify the trail as part of the Ohio to Erie and display the name of the trail system. Space will be left for the mile postings and village name, Halverson said.
In other business, Halverson said the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) struck down a suggestion to close U.S. Route 62 South while a tunnel below the roadway is constructed.
Fully closing the road would have saved money by speeding up construction, Halverson said. However, ODOT could not come up with a practical route for heavy truck traffic after considering state routes 520 and 514.
The tunnel is currently in the design stages and is estimated at $1.1-$1.2 million. It will be similar to the box-culvert tunnel near Holmesville.
Halverson said many “to do” items on a punch list for the trail were completed last fall and this spring. Volunteers have painted three wood bridges, and bollards have been removed from all points of egress that do not have direct motor access. The bollards were originally installed to prevent motor vehicle traffic from getting onto the trail and were designed to be low enough for a buggy to pass over. The elimination of the bollards makes for “open” and less constricted traveling, Halverson said.
Halverson said a volunteer clean-up day May 21 at the Millersburg Depot included floral plantings and other light maintenance.
Published: May 30, 2011
