Construction set to begin to link existing bike trail to the Great Miami Bike Trail
Construction is set to begin soon on a project that will link the City of Vandalia’s existing bike trail to the Great Miami Bike Trail, which stretches 87.5 miles from Miami County south through Montgomery, Warren and Butler County, along the Great Miami River.
On April 18, Vandalia Assistant City Manager Rob Cron joined representatives from ODOT in announcing details of the project.
The project’s beginnings can be traced to a 2019 grant application submitted to the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission.
“We were fortunate enough to receive a little more than $2.3 million towards the project,” Cron said. “We’ve also partnered with the Five Rivers MetroParks to share costs on the remaining funds needed to complete this $3.5 million project.”
One of the more challenging components of the plan is the construction of a bridge that will cross over a CSX railroad crossing just west of the Taylorsville Dam. The bridge will allow bikers to safely cross the tracks to reach the Great Miami River Trail.
“This is a unique bikeway project as it has several components,” Cron explained. “We will also have on-street bike lanes on National Road, a dedicated two-way cycle lane on Brown School Road, an off-road paved path along Brown School Road and US40, and the project includes an alternate section through a neighborhood using sharrows.
Construction is expected to begin over the summer with a completion date expected in 2025.
“We are very excited to see this project move into the next phase,” Cron said. “I know I’m not alone in saying I can’t wait to be one of the many people to make the trip down this path.”