By: Deborah Johnson Wood
Plans to create a non-motorized trail between Holland and Saugatuck get a boost this week when a 1.7mile section near Saugatuck is finished. The nearly $390,000, 10-foot-wide paved pathway is just one of a planned series of connected trails that will give bicyclists, skateboarders, runners, and walkers a scenic tour of the lakeshore.
This stretch of trail runs north of Saugatuck beginning at Holland Street, then follows Blue Water Highway to 64th Street. It meanders through shady, wooded areas and takes walkers and riders over Goshorn Creek via a 14-foot-wide, 70-foot-long bridge.
Next year, Laketown Township plans to add a connecting trail between the 64th Street trailhead and an existing trail in Holland, giving lakeshore hikers and bikers miles of enjoyment.
“When we did our tri-community plan (Saugatuck Township, Saugatuck and Douglas), this was the highest priority people asked for,” says Phil Quade, township manager.
The trail cost $341,000 to construct. Of that, a Congestion Mitigation Air Quality grant covered 80 percent, and matching local funds paid for the remaining 20 percent. Engineering design costs are expected to run about $46,000 and will be paid by Saugatuck Township.
Source: Phil Quade, Saugatuck Township
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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