Outdoor enthusiasts are about to see an important upgrade to the
Clinton's Mississippi River trail, completing a route through the entire
city that could help boost the local economy. The new portion of the
trail through the downtown area will join two existing trails. One
starts north, at Eagle Point Park, and goes along the riverfront. It has
been around for more than 15 years.
"I enjoy it," resident Desiree Soppe said. "I have
two small children. It's nice to be able to take them somewhere where
you feel safe."
The other trail, west, extends to the city limits at
Camanche. It was finished just last year. City leaders say joining
these two trails will be like adding that last piece of the puzzle. The
gap between the two was around one mile long.
"It's just kind of a pain to have to stop your ride so fast," resident Steven Mendoza said.
Early next week, construction will start to connect them.
"I think expanding it would be nice," resident Sarah
Rafferty said. "We would have walked further had it not ended at the
bridge."
"That's going to be a really cool transition," Mendoza said. "I'd appreciate it."
The expansion will create around 35 miles of trails.
"I would like to run it, but I mean, right now, I'll
start just walking it," Soppe said. "So, it will be a nice challenge to
be able to run it the entire way sometime."
Clinton City Council member John Rowland says the
expansion works well with the city's recreation vision, and it could
bring more people to the area.
"It fits in well with attracting people from the
Thomson prison site," he said. "We're looking at 900 or 1,000 jobs
opening up there, so we think that we can market our community as a good
place to be for those people.
Most of the trail goes along the streets, not on or
across them, except at some intersections. City leaders say safety
shouldn't be a concern. The new portion of the trail will be around 10
feet wide, and should be finished by summer.