River’s Edge Trail - 2007 Progress
Check out our pictures of progress.
Three grants and partner contributions combined to overlay 1.25 miles of asphalt trail between Crooked Falls Overlook and Heritage Park.
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The $140.000 project repaired crack damage on popular trail segments through Giant Springs State Park that were paved in 1994 and 1995.
Several smaller section repairs and a re-alignment of a trail segment near Volunteer Pond brought the rest of the trail up to standards and date.
For the first time ever, our entire refurbished 13+ miles of paved trail received fresh centerline striping and some upgraded signing.
Volunteers from the Great Falls Bicycle Club and MCC built the final single-track segments of the High Plains Trail on National Trails Day.
RTI wrote a State Trails grant to pave the Black Eagle Connector Trail that includes this former railroad overpass of 15th Street North.
RTI volunteers worked with PPL Montana to open the Cochrane Dam Trail Crossing for 7 weekends during the 2007 season.
One of the best of many events on the trail in 2007 was the 1st ever One Half Marathon organized by the Assphault Kickers Running Club.
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Trail volunteers planted over 100 trees and installed many new memorial benches and this shelter near Black Eagle Memorial Island.
A great 12th Annual Blues & Brews party filled the Convention Center and helped raise match funds for Bay Drive Trail construction.
2008 RTI Goals for the River’s Edge Trail
♣ Write grant applications for federal, state and foundation funds to make specific
trail improvements and extensions as endorsed by the Trails Working Group, and
help raise the required public match funds to leverage these grants.
♣ Complete easements and final design and begin construction on $600,000 Bay
Drive Trail segments between West Bank Park and Garden Home Park.
♣ Work with partners and donors to provide a year-round fully accessible vault
toilet along the trail near the new Dog Park on the south shore, near Montana
Refining Co. on the north side and replace the non-ADA unit at West Bank Park.
♣ Complete asphalt paving and landscaping on the Black Eagle Connector Trail.
♣ Work with agency partners to complete the upgrade of signage and pavement
markings at all at-grade crossings and of all trail informational signing.
♣ Work with Montana Refining Company to design and implement a landscaping
project including an irrigation system, new trees, shrubs, vines and grasses.
♣ Work with City and partners to implement a storm water upgrade in West Bank
Park that includes new piers and an upgrade of the leaning trail bridge.
♣ Continue to work with MDT on final designs of trail extensions from Odd Fellows
Park to Upper River Road and along 38th St N. to the Giant Springs Rd. tunnel.
♣ Continue to work with City, FWP, Bike Club and others to develop a Management
Plan for the 300-acre Cochrane Reservoir Natural Area and explore conservation
easement status for south shore lands east of the State Park.
♣ RTI plans to work again with volunteer tree guru Gary Trescott and other volunteers
and scouts to plant another 100 trees, increase the mulch bed on hundreds more and
water young tree stock along our river greenway.
♣ We plan to continue to work with the Cascade County Conservation District to
remediate the erosion at Whitmore Ravine, with the City, FWP and Weed District to
reduce noxious weeds along the river and trail corridor, and with MCC, volunteers
and groups in day-to-day trail cleanup. We hope to find partners to help remove the
last three car bodies in ravines along Cochrane Reservoir.
♣ We plan to have MCC build two new information kiosks to change out with worst
two old-style kiosks. RTI will continue to maintain and update the maps and info in
the 14 kiosks. We plan to use more durable media to post some trail info.
♣ Work with partners to update Trail Map and complete second printing of 10,000
for free public distribution and work with the Historic Preservation Office to develop
a walking tour guide of archaeological and geological features and sites.
- Completed new gravel trail connection between River’s Edge Trail and Black
- Eagle using former railroad bridge over 15th Street N.
- FWP and partners completed new High Plains single-track loop trail between the
- Ryan Trailhead and Dry Waterfall along Morony Reservoir
- Wrote a successful $33,078 NRTA grant to fund asphalt overlay on segments of
the trail in Giant Springs State Park.
- Worked with partners to produce and distribute a high-quality fold-up map
- Worked with partners to develop and place new trailside interpretive panels
- Worked with PPL MT to open Cochrane Dam Trail Crossing for 14 days
- City crews repave and realign trail segments 15th St. to Giant Springs Road
- MDT begins design on new connector trail along 38th St. & Giant Springs Road
- MDT begins design on bike/hike underpass of the S. end of 6th St. SW bridge
- FWP and partners upgrade the single-track between LC Overlook and Whitmore
- Continued to work with CCCD and partners on Whitmore Ravine erosion
- Wrote a successful $505,000 CTEP grant to fund construction of Bay
Drive Trail
- Organized and staffed successful 11th Annual Blues & Brews fundraiser
- LCIC Foundation purchases key north shore parcels needed for future trail
- Worked with MCC and volunteers 100s of hours on trail cleanup, weed control,
planting, watering, fencing and maintenance projects
- Added new memorial trees, benches, tables and shelters along the trail
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