When the last of the equipment and scrap is removed from the Johnny Womack estate sale along the old Santa Fe right of way south of U.S. 54, construction will start on an extension of the Prairie Spirit Trail.
The city obtained the property last year in a deal with owner Jack McFadden that had the city pay him $70,000 and deed to McFadden about 10 acres of land just west of the Neosho River.
“They (successful bidders) have until Aug. 1 to clean up Johnny’s stuff and it looks like we’ll bid the trail work sometime in July,” said Cory Schinstock, assistant city administrator.
Plans for the trail extension are “next to finished,” Schinstock added, which then will be reviewed by the Kansas Department of Transportation.
Four-fifths of funding for the project, about a mile in length, will come from federal transportation enhancement money administered by the Kansas Department of Transportation. Cost is expected to be about $516,000, with Iola putting up $104,000 from money raised by a local sales tax.
“We have a little leeway on the total,” Schinstock said, noting that it is likely to vary from estimates depending on how much signage is involved, and also on what the lowest bid is.
Construction will entail preparation of railroad right of way and laying a 10-foot-wide asphalt walking and biking trail.
A part of the project will be installation of a push-button stop sign where the trail now crosses State Street — a yellow flashing light will precede the red stop light — as well as other signs and trees and shrubs for landscaping.
Traffic counts show that a stop sign isn’t needed where the trail will cross U.S. 54.
“Traffic there, believe it or not, is less and slower than it is on North State Street,” Schinstock said.
THE TRAIL today runs from Cofachique Park, directly west across State Street from the National Guard armory, to Ottawa. When the extension south is complete, the trail will end at Bruner Street at the northeast corner of Riverside Park.
“We’d like to take the trail — though not as fully developed as it is elsewhere — on around the levee” that protects Riverside Park from all but historic floods, Schinstock said.
That would require moving the fence along the top of the levee on the north side of the park to give users a clear walking path.
“The fence is there for the school district (football field) and the rodeo arena,” he observed. “It could be moved a little south of the base,” and still be effective.
School property starts about 10 feet south of the levee.
Eventually, it may be developed farther south.
The railroad right of way from Iola to Humboldt is now available. Humboldt residents have expressed interest in their city being connected to the trail.
