by Cheryl Splain, KnoxPages.com reporter
MOUNT VERNON — Knox County residents are close to celebrating the completion of another segment of the Heart of Ohio Trail between Mount Vernon and Centerburg.
“Right now the intermediate coat has been applied; that’s sort of the bottom coat and is not as smooth, but that is down over the two-plus miles from Thayer Road to a little bit west of Graham Road,” said Kim Marshall of the Knox County Park District. “On Monday, Kokosing Construction, the general contractor, laid the smooth top asphalt on about half of that.”
On Wednesday, crews were working on putting in a gravel berm to level the trail with the grass. Marshall said that if the weather permits, meaning the right temperatures and lack of rain, Kokosing Construction will lay the finish coat from about Johnstown Road to Thayer Road.
“So we are quite close,” said Marshall. “The projection in terms of everything wrapped up and done is Oct. 30, but I anticipate if we get good-weather days that at least the asphalt will be done this week, by Friday.”
Marshall said that after paving is completed, a subcontractor will install posts, signage and fencing where there are drop-offs. Truncated domes, a textured ground surface that aids visually impaired pedestrians, will also be installed.
“The trail will still be officially closed until they [totally] complete the project. Kokosing has control of the project right now as the contractor,” she said.
When finished, the trail will traverse almost 16 miles from Mount Vernon to the Knox-Licking county line just south of Centerburg. When the current segment opens, about 13 miles will be paved for walking, biking and skating. The remaining three miles south of Centerburg to the county line are still a gravel/grass surface. Trail access points with parking are at Memorial Park in Centerburg at roughly the intersection of Ohio 314 and Ohio 3, in Mount Liberty at roughly the intersection of Ohio 3 and Simmons Church Road, at the intersection of Thayer and Henry roads off of Ohio 3 and in Mount Vernon at roughly 200 Columbus Road. For a trail map visit http://www.knoxcountyparks.org/PDFs/hootmap2013.pdf.
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