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Ground broken on rail trail connector

The Inter-Mountain photo by Tim MacVean Members of various supporting agencies participate in a groundbreaking ceremony for the Elkins Rail Trail Connector project which will connect the Allegheny Highlands Trail to downtown Elkins. From left are Melanie Dempsey, Davis Health System vice president for finance and CFO; Jamie Rossi, District 8 superintendent for the West Virginia Division of Highways; Greg Hadjis, president of J.F. Allen Company; Joyce Allen; Van T. Broughton, Elkins mayor; Craig Richards, project engineer for Burgess and Niple; Robbie Morris, Randolph County Development Authority executive director; Mark Scott, Randolph County Commissioner; Clyde Thompson, United States Forest Service Forest supervisor for the Monongahela National Forest; Karen Carper, Highlands Trail Foundation treasurer; and Gordon Blackley, Highlands Trail Foundation former president.

ELKINS — Individuals from a variety of supporting agencies came together Thursday to “turn some dirt” on an area project that has been years in the making.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday morning for the Elkins Rail Trail Connector for the Allegheny Highlands Trail at the current trail head, located along U.S. 219.

The connector project will create a safe pathway from the current end of the Allegheny Highlands Trail to the Elkins Depot Welcome Center in downtown Elkins.

Members of the Randolph County Development Authority, Highlands Trail Foundation, Allegheny Highlands Trail, J.F. Allen Company, Randolph County Commission, City of Elkins, United States Forest Service, West Virginia Department of Transportation, Davis Health System, and Burgess and Niple — all of whom are sponsoring agencies in the project — were on hand for the celebration.

“This is really exciting for Elkins and Randolph County as far as tourism (goes). It will allow bicycles coming into town to be able to get off the trail, shop and eat,” Elkins Mayor Van Broughton said to those in attendance. “I know businesses have already put up bike racks downtown in front of their businesses. I’m excited because all the organizations and all the other departments came together to make this work. I can’t wait until this gets done.”

The Inter-Mountain photo by Tim MacVean Clyde Thompson, United States Forest Service Forest supervisor for the Monongahela National Forest, talks about how the Elkins Rail Trail Connector project will improve the quality of life for area residents and tourists alike during a Thursday morning groundbreaking ceremony at the current trail head along U.S. 219.

Rhett Dusenbury, district representative for U.S. Congressman Alex X. Mooney, read a letter from Mooney, who was unable to attend the ceremony.

“I am confident that the impact this project will have on the local economy will be increased because of its ability to bring more patrons downtown to local shops. This addition to the existing trail will also create safer options for citizens and students who are cycling or walking,” he read from the letter. “I understand this future connector project is a result of an impressive collaboration effort between the city of Elkins, the Randolph County Development Authority, The Highlands Trail Foundation, The U.S. Forestry Service, The Federal Highway Administration and many other entities. This truly is an example of what can be achieved when a community works together.”

Clyde Thompson, United States Forest Service Forest supervisor for the Monongahela National Forest, added he believes this trail connector will also enhance the quality of life for citizens.

“It’s really not about just businesses and drawing people in and all of that. I know that’s how we think sometimes, but really what you’re looking for is a quality of place,” Thompson said. “We want to make this a place that is better for folks that live here, where they have the full array of attractions and things they can do. If you make it good for the people that live here, it also makes it good for people who visit here.”

Karen Carper, member and treasurer of Highlands Trail Foundation, called Thursday’s groundbreaking a “happy day” and noted the Allegheny Highlands Trail project is something that started 23 years ago.

“This is a very, very happy day for the Highlands Trail Foundation and, this dates those of us that started the project, but it started in 1995 when we began dreaming about a trail that connected two depots — one in Parsons and one in Elkins,” she said.

She added the project couldn’t have kept going without support from individuals such as current Randolph County Development Authority Executive Director Robbie Morris, former RCDA executive directors Denver Barnett and Jennifer Giovanetti, and former Highlands Trail Foundation President Gordon Blackley.

“It takes a whole lot of people to make something like this work out so I want to thank everyone that has been supportive and I think we should just have a big party,” Carper said.

Taira Gainer-Landavere, recently named director of marketing for the Elkins-Randolph County Tourism CVB, said she feels the outdoor opportunities the project will bring into downtown will provide a variety of tourism options.

“To see this in our downtown is going to be an awesome opportunity. The outdoor recreation that it is going to bring to our downtown is going to be amazing for the shops and the business,” she said. “Just being able to connect with other towns, with the outdoor recreation and everything we can do to promote the whole region, is going to be a necessary thing to promote us.”

After thanking each supporting agency for their contributions to the project, Morris closed out the groundbreaking ceremony by saying each contributor was vital to the sustained vision of the Allegheny Highlands Trail and the Elkins Rail Trail Connector.

“As you can see, this project took the help of many great people and many organizations. This is not a program of any one group or one person, but a dedicated team has seen this project is completed. To each and every one of you I am extremely grateful for what you have done,” Morris said. “I am excited about the possibilities and opportunities this rail trail will bring to Elkins, Randolph County and Tucker County.”

“The connection to our historic downtown, Elkins Rail Yard and Elkins Town Square will, without a doubt, bolster the recreation options for citizens and tourists alike in the Mountain State,” he continued. “Thank you for being here today. Let’s turn some dirt and get this thing done.”

During a May Randolph County Development Authority meeting, board members accepted a bid from J.F. Allen Company, of Buckhannon, for the connector project.

The bid accepted was in the amount of $2,318,755.20 and includes directional signals to be painted on the roadway. A second bid was received from J.F. Allen in the amount of $2,299,226.20, but that bid did not include the signals.

“This is something they’re doing in urban cities,” said Morris during the May meeting. “Where the bike trail will conflict with traffic, there will be green paint to alert drivers that there is a rail trail going through that section.”

A separate bid was received from Bear Contracting, of Bridgeport, that would include directional signals, in the amount of $3,624,760.25. It was not accepted.

The RCDA received a grant from the West Virginia Division of Highways in 2010 for this project.

Morris said the construction of a bridge — which would be included for safety concerns — was not included in this grant; however, the RCDA will be receiving additional funding for the bridge portion of the project from the DOH.

The board has been working to make this project a reality for more than eight years. Morris said he first met with DOH in regard to this project in 2011 after taking over as executive director, noting the RCDA board had discussed the project for some time prior to his meeting with DOH officials.

During the May meeting Morris also noted, once construction begins, the project should take approximately one year to complete, pending weather conditions.

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