First phase of bike trail construction to start

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM--The city's recent efforts to obtain funding for constructing the second phase of the proposed New Ulm bike trail has diverted attention from the imminent start of construction on Phase 1.

"We're looking at putting it out for bid in early spring, 2002, and ideally starting construction in June and finishing in October," City Engineer Steve Koehler said.

"We're to the point of acquiring the final easements; we still have a few areas yet to acquire. Then, it's a matter of having the City Council approve preliminary alignment of Phase 1."

Koehler estimates there are "6 or 7" private property owners remaining to negotiate with in gaining the necessary easements. However, because a portion of the trail will be on Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern railroad right-of-way, the toughest negotiations may be with DM&E.

The proposed bike trail crosses the DM&E tracks around 9th North Street and continues along the tracks to 1st South Street where it jogs off to run through South German Park, basically paralleling South German Street until 15th South where it jogs through Market Park to follow German Street to Phase 1's end point at 20th South Street.

"We're not anticipating any problems, but you never know until you get into it how they might react," Koehler said.

He's confident, however, that the city can work around it in case there are problems. Most of the 4.9-mile Phase 1 segment of trail is on land that the city already owns or to which it has access.

Most private property that the trail will traverse is located between Industrial and 20th North streets before it starts down Water Street.

Funding for Phase One is in place with the city receiving $425,000 from the federal government in TEA-21 gas tax funds. A $102,000 matching grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources brings the total of federal and state participation to $527,000.

Because Phase 1 is estimated to cost $730,000, the remaining amount --$203,000 --that the city will have to pick up more than meets the city's obligation in obtaining federal assistance, Koehler said.

The bituminous-surface trail will be 10 feet wide, with a 2-foot gravel shoulder on either side, Koehler explained.

"Because of space constrictions, we may have to narrow it to 8 feet in width, but most of the trail will be 10 feet wide," Koehler said.

While the longest of the four phases, two of which are divided in two sub-phases, Phase 1 ranks only third among the six segments in terms of construction cost.

The most costly is Phase 2a which begins where Phase 1 ends on 20th South, crosses Broadway, hugs the profile of the Schell's Brewery property and ends at the boundary of Flandrau State Park.

Because it will take a half-mile bridge/boardwalk to drop the trail down to park level, Phase 2a is projected to cost $1,645,000 with about $1.2 million of that being for the bridge. Phase 2b which brings the trail into the park to the swimming pool is expected to cost $685,000.

Because Phase 2b and Phase 3a, which is projected to cost $200,000, are on park land, the cost of those phases will be borne by the state, DNR and federal government.

Phases 3a, 3b and 4 are listed as "future" projects only right now. The city hopes to eventually loop the trail around the city, with the loop closing back at KC Road. So Phase 3a would take the trail from the pool to CSAH 13. In 3b the trail would go from CSAH 13 to Hazelwood, and Phase 4 would take it from Center St. back to its beginning on North Broadway.

"We've started acquiring easements beyond the park in preparation for future development of the trail," Koehler said, "but continuation of the trail is still a long ways down the road."

A spur off 20th South Street going along Nicollet County 37 to U.S. Highway 14 also is roughed out in case the regional trail comes down the other side of the Minnesota River.

However, the DNR has been charged by the legislature to determine the best path for a Minnesota River regional trail, and the DNR's recommendation isn't expected for some time.

When the estimated costs for all six segments of the New Ulm bike trail are totaled, they come to a tidy $4,382,000. However, if the city isn't able to get state funding for the bridge in Phase 2b, Koehler said, it may mean that Phase 1 will be the extent of the city's bike trail.