Quarter Mile Connection Will Unite Four Regional Trail Systems
Anderson Township’s trail system received a considerable boost this week with the announcement of a $750,000 federal grant for an extension of the Little Miami Scenic Trail.
A section known as the ‘Elstun Road Connector” is a quarter-mile connection running from the existing sidewalk on Beechmont Avenue near Elstun Road and the Skytop Pavilion Shopping Center, to the Little Miami Scenic Trail/Beechmont Bridge widening project. This link will create a “vital connection from the redeveloping Skytop site in Anderson, and neighborhoods in Mt. Washington to several regional trails,” according to Planner Brad Bowers.
Four regional multi-use trails will benefit from the link created by the new connector. As the area becomes a “hub” for the regional trails network, the trails which the new connector will link to include the Lunken Airport Trail, the Little Miami Scenic Trail, the Otto Armleder Trail and the Ohio River Trail.
With an estimated project cost of $1.6 million, Anderson Township will contribute $636,675, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is committed to add $213,324 through engineering efforts that are ongoing, and the federal transportation award of $750,000 would go towards construction of the trail. Grant funds were supplied through the Transportation Alternatives Grant Program through the OKI Regional Council of Governments.
The OKI board is committed to improving the regional transportation network in the eight-county OKI region, with $40 million provided in this round of grant funding, said OKI Board President Kris Knochelmann. “These grant awards are a major investment in the region’s multi-modal transportation network with improvements in mobility and safety for drivers, transit riders, cyclists and pedestrians,” he noted.
“They say, ‘All roads lead to Anderson Township’ and now we can add ‘bike trails” as well!” said Trustee Chair Josh Gerth. “Just like our contribution to the Ohio River Trail link between Salem and Sutton in the city of Cincinnati, these critical connections literally pave the way to a more vibrant and well-rounded economically developed community. Strong planning, solid vision, and some local funding and support can go a long way,” he said. “I can’t wait to see all of this come together over the next few years.”
The Elstun Connector adds onto the pedestrian-cyclist upgrade being constructed on the Beechmont Bridge over the Little Miami River. By the end of 2022, the bridge will sport a new designated lane on the south side that separates pedestrians and cyclists from traffic by a concrete barrier. This will also link to the new Ohio River Trail segment, from Lunken/Salem Road to Sutton Road and Anderson’s Entertainment District, which will open in early 2021.
Bowers noted that the link will add an economic boost to the redeveloping Skytop Shopping Center, which has been approved for mixed-use development. Several local businesses and about 425 households located within three-quarters of a mile of the project will benefit from the bike and pedestrian access.
Bowers said design has started, with construction commencing in 2024.
For more information, contact: Assistant Administrator Steve Sievers, 7850 Five Mile Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45230, Phone: (513) 688-8400, E-mail: ssievers@AndersonTownship.org