Trail improvements funded for Columbus, Gahanna, and Bexley in central Ohio

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Trails in Columbus, Gahanna and Bexley were among those that will receive upgrades with the help of over $1 million in grants from the Clean Ohio Trail Fund.

Columbus received a $435,000 grant for improvements on the Olentangy Trail, which spans from Worthington to Downtown Columbus along the Olentangy River. The project will complete the Olentangy Trail by connecting Northmoor Park to Clinton Cosmo Park with a 0.6-mile shared-use path from Whetstone to South Clintonville. 

“When complete, this project will fill in the gap to create a seamless 14-mile regional trail that enhances neighborhood connections and improves safety,” the Columbus Recreation and Park Department’s website said.

Construction is expected to start in July and be completed by the summer of 2025.

The department gathered input from the Columbus community for the project in 2021. Due to the anticipated high volume of pedestrians and cyclists crossing North Broadway when this section is completed, the department will implement multiple safety enhancements to the crossing at North Broadway near OhioHealth facilities and State Route 315, including high-visibility pavement markings and enhanced signage.

The project will also include two pedestrian bridges and linkage for “disconnected residents, major employers and trail users on the west bank of the Olentangy River,” according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which administers the trail fund.

Gahanna was awarded $500,000 for its Link to Literacy trail. The 10-foot multiuse trail will connect North Hamilton Road near the new Gahanna Lincoln High School to the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Gahanna Branch and the Creekside District, where there are existing trails. 

The Link to Literacy trail is in the design phase, city officials said.

“The city is focused on making continual improvements so that Gahanna becomes an even more walkable and bikeable community,” said Stephania Ferrell, city director of parks and recreation. “The Link to Literacy trail is a desired and important connection within the trail network.”

Bexley was awarded $500,000 for trail improvements. The project will develop a pedestrian and bike bridge over Alum Creek at Schneider Park. The bridge would link the Schneider Park trail and the Alum Creek Greenway, also connecting the south Bexley neighborhood to Hanford Village.

The Clean Ohio Trail Fund grant, along with a previously awarded $350,000 state capital grant, will go toward the bridge. Bexley is aiming to start construction later this year, development director Megan Meyer said. 

The project is one of Bexley’s “Year of the Parks” initiatives, which focuses on park planning and fundraising. Near the planned bridge, the city also has plans to build a linear skate park, Meyer said. 

The state’s trail fund aims to improve outdoor recreational opportunities in Ohio by funding. Local governments, park recreation districts, conservancy districts, soil and water conservation districts, and nonprofit organizations are eligible for the grants. 

Fourteen communities were awarded an overall $6.2 million this week from the trail fund. 

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