The Montana Department of Transportation worked with the City of Great Falls
and contractors Shumaker Construction and United Materials to create a safe and
beautiful extension of River’s Edge Trail between Odd Fellows Park and Upper
River Road. Completed this year, the project features long-lasting concrete trail.
It is one of several exciting MDT projects on Great Falls trails in 2009.
Extensive landscaping at the beautiful new Missouri River Courthouse
ties into the trail. Plans for next year include replacing the aging asphalt
trail between The Weissman Bridge and West Bank Park with concrete.
RTI worked with members of the Opportunities, Inc. Summer Youth
Employment Program three mornings a week to trim and clean up all
along the trail and pull many truckloads of noxious weeds.
The out-of-state owners of south shore riverfront lands between Cochrane
and Ryan Dams agreed to sell an easement for public trails to extend from
the City’s CochraneReservoir trails downstream along Ryan Reservoir to the
Great Falls of the Missouri. RTI could use your help to pay for this
wonderful public recreation acquisition.
The City Park & Recreation Department negotiated with Shumaker
Construction to provide a new gravel trail, between Upper River Road
and 13th Ave. S., through Warden Park. RTI has just received a State
Trails grant to pave this trail segment next year. We could use your
help with our match obligation for the grant to finish this trail in 2010.
Using MACI funds, MDT designed and built several non- motorized
“enhancements” that connected new neighborhoods to the Great Falls
Trail system in 2009. The projects, completed by United Materials,
included new trail along 38th St. N., River Drive North and Giant Springs
Road, new trail underpass of 6th Street SW along the Sun River, and the
signing of 8th Ave. N. from 38th Street to Gibson Park as a Bike Route.
RTI volunteers and agency trail advocates are beginning to scout
preferred alignments of trails that will someday connect River’s Edge
Trail at Black Eagle Memorial Island with the North Shore Trail.
The Assphault Kickers Running Club hosted the 6th annual “Burn
the Bird” fun run on Thanksgiving morning, capping off another year
of organized runs, walks, races and rides on River’s Edge Trail.
A great time was had by all at the 14th annual Blues & Brews trail
fundraiser featuring the Tommy Castro Band. Money raised over the
years has helped make many trail improvements possible.
RTI continued to work with the Cascade County Conservation District
and others to resolve the ongoing erosion of Whitmore Ravine. The size
of the delta was revealed when Cochrane pool was lowered 22 feet
In early November crews from United Materials, Inc. were making great
progress on Phase 1 of the trail along Bay Drive, which sweeps through
Garden Home Park and then downstream under the BNSF railroad bridge
In late November this happy family enjoys the new concrete trail near the
Central Montana Electric Cooperatives building downstream from the BNSF
underpass. You have got to get over and experience this great new trail!
TD&H has completed the design for Phase 2, which will link Phase 1 to
West Bank Park, with underpasses of the 1st Ave. N. and Weissman
Bridges. Construction is planned for early 2010 using ARRA funding.
City Engineering, Public Works and Phillips Construction completed
renovation of this formerly eroded West Bank Park outfall, including
new piers for the trail bridge. The new native vegetation is thriving.
The Great Falls Bicycle Club worked with the City, FWP and MCC to
create and sign several miles of expert mountain bike single-track
along the south shore of Cochrane Reservoir known as “Mayhem.”
New fencing, irrigation system, trees and landscaping installed and
maintained by Montana Refining Company will add beauty to this
popular stretch of the trail and the riverfront for many years to come.
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