New trail project to bring connection
For The Madera Tribune
Construction continues along the Vernon McCullough River Trail.
Construction continues on a new portion of the Vernon McCullough Fresno River Trail system. This segment will connect to the existing trail along Riverside Drive on the north side of the Fresno River just east of Sharon Avenue and continue underneath the Union Pacific Railroad bridge and Gateway Drive.
A switchback feature similar to the undercrossing at the south side of the Schnoor Bridge will tie the trail to the sidewalk along the west side of Gateway Drive to Rotary Park.
The contractor, Truxell & Valentino Landscape Development, Inc., moved in to begin construction on the project in the first quarter of 2020, and has been steadily developing the improvements from each end.
“With this project, patience and persistence have been our keys to success,” noted the City’s Project Development Coordinator, Ellen Bitter, as she described some of the challenges that have slowed development on the trail system. “The City has been working on this project for over 15 years. For its many starts and stops, grants, permits, licenses, and approvals, we believe the benefits of this project are well worth the effort. We can’t wait to share it with residents.”
The project is funded with local Measure T funds, two federal transportation grants — Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality and Active Transportation Program, Local Transportation Funds, and a small grant from the Air District. The city anticipates the Gateway Drive undercrossing project will reach completion and be opened for use prior to the year’s end.
