Very nice!  Thanks for those.  These bridges should help bring some visibility to the trail in a place where it could have easily passed through with little fanfare...

This is going to be so awesome when it's completed! I seriously can't wait for September!

^^^ Good timing, CornerCurve.

 

 

Pedestrian bridge still on schedule

Thursday, May 25, 2006

By John Kametz

Garfield-Maple Sun

 

Despite recent rain delays, Cleveland Metroparks officials say construction of two Towpath Trail pedestrian bridges continues, pretty much on schedule.

 

The bridges will carry people safely over two heavily traveled roads in Garfield Heights and Valley View.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/sun/garfieldmaplesun/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1148575834253890.xml&coll=3

 

Let's hope ODOT isn't involved in getting the cables for these bridges...we wouldn't want them to be too short!

From the 6/1/06 Akron Beacon Journal:

 

 

Beat a path downtown

Work to extend Towpath Trail from Innerbelt to Lock 2 Park

By Bob Downing

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

The popular Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail is getting closer to downtown Akron.

 

Work on extending the hike-and-bike trail from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (the Akron Innerbelt) to Lock 2 Park behind the Canal Park stadium is expected to begin July 1 and take about six months, said city spokesman Ken Kostura.

 

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/14713889.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

 

Drove past today and the cables have been strung. Sorry, no camera on me at the time.

Bad, CornerCurve! Bad!

From the 6/28/06 Akron Beacon Journal:

 

 

PHOTO: The trail runs under train trestles and across a covered bridge in the new cascade locks section of Metro Parks Cascade Valley Trailhead in Akron, Ohio.  Robin Tinay Sallie/Akron Beacon Journal

 

More photos

 

Map of the new trail (pdf)

 

Exercise path scales 'The Summit'

Towpath Trail section to open

Cascade Locks route shows off downtown skyline

By Bob Downing

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

Virginia Wojno-Forney's long-held dream comes true this morning.

 

Ceremonies at 10:30 a.m. will mark the opening of one of the toughest, most expensive and most important sections of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.

 

"It's exciting... and a huge accomplishment,'' said Dan Rice, head of the Akron-based Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition. "We've reached The Summit.''

 

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/ohio/news/14918868.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

 

From the 6/29/06 Akron Beacon Journal:

 

 

Towpath stretches deeper into city

3-year-old and dad earn right to be first to trek new segment

By Bob Downing

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

Three-year-old Mary Winer of Akron was the first official user of the newest section of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.

 

After speeches and a ceremonial rope-cutting Wednesday, Mary, in her stroller, and her 52-year-old father, Bruce Winer, led a parade of 250 hikers, wheelchair users and bicyclists on the 1,665-foot stretch of trail from West North Street to Martin Luther King Boulevard (the Akron Innerbelt).

 

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/ohio/news/14927841.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

 

From the 7/27/06 Garfield-Maple Sun:

 

 

Warner bridge work progressing

Thursday, July 27, 2006

By John Kametz

Garfield-Maple Sun

 

GARFIELD HEIGHTS - Following the pattern for the nearly completed Granger Road span, contractors should soon be ready to pour the concrete surface for the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath pedestrian bridge over Warner Road.

 

The deck is pretty much in place - all the plywood forms, said Dick Kerber, director of planning for the Metroparks.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/sun/garfieldmaplesun/index.ssf?/base/news-0/115401835263090.xml&coll=3

From the 8/5/06 PD:

 

 

Saving towpath from hungry river

National park may try pavement, trees

Saturday, August 05, 2006

April McClellan-Copeland

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Akron - Paving the limestone surface of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath or planting willows along the banks might be ways of making the popular hiking and biking trail more flood-resistant.

 

These and other ideas for preventing washouts along the 60-plus-mile trail will be considered as part of a study to be undertaken this summer. Parks officials said this week that the study is needed because flooding has become a costly, recurring problem.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/summit/1154766788187550.xml&coll=2

 

From the 8/17/06 Garfield-Maple Sun:

 

 

Bridge construction is staying on track

Thursday, August 17, 2006

By John Kametz

Garfield-Maple Sun

 

Thanks to the continuing good weather, workers are making good progress toward the opening of two cabled-stayed Cleveland Metroparks bridges to carry bicyclists and hikers from the Ohio & Erie Canal towpath trail up and over busy Warner Road in Garfield Heights and Granger Road in Valley View.

 

For most of the past several weeks, temperatures have risen at least into the 80s, providing the perfect recipe for curing the concrete surfaces of the two spans.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/sun/garfieldmaplesun/index.ssf?/base/features-0/1155832982236260.xml&coll=3

 

From the 9/5/06 ABJ:

 

 

Couple beats path to new trail section

Southern 1.5 miles of Towpath section open in New Franklin

By Bob Downing

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

NEW FRANKLIN - Geoffrey and Kay Jollay were impressed by the newest section of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.

 

"I love it,'' said Jollay, 53, of his first visit to the trail between Center and Vanderhoof roads on PPG Industries property in New Franklin.

 

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/15441439.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

 

From the 9/19/06 ABJ:

 

 

'Lot of good things' in store along canal

Cuyahoga engineer gives update on work to extend Towpath Trail

By Bob Downing

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

CUYAHOGA HEIGHTS - Tens of millions of dollars have been committed to building the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and related projects in Cuyahoga County.

 

That includes $25 million in hand to extend the popular hike-and-bike trail six miles through the industrial Flats area of Cleveland, said chief deputy engineer Stanley Kosilesky of the Cuyahoga County engineer's office.

 

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/living/travel/visitors_guide/15553906.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

---

From the 9/18/06 ABJ:

 

 

Canal Adventure turned on its head

Finally, Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath trek starts up north

By Sarah Vradenburg

Beacon Journal editorial writer

 

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Sarah Vradenburg, a Beacon Journal editorial writer, is spending the week walking the length of the Ohio & Erie Canal towpath trail. All 101 miles. She is doing so with a band of fellow travelers making their fourth such trek. This time, they are marking the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor. Sarah will be blogging her way along the trail.

 

By now, most everyone in Northeast Ohio knows about the Ohio & Erie Canal, the towpath trail and its many, many offshoots. What not everyone knows is that a band of committed leaders in this area have gone the distance to promote it, meaning that they have walked the length of the towpath trail -- all 101 miles of it , or at least what was navigable at any particular time -- in order to make their case to the people along its route. These have been called, very appropriately, canal adventure.

 

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/15529187.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

 

Towpath Marathon, Half Marathon, Relay, and 5K "Toe-Breaker" Trail Run coming up on October 8th!  Who's in?

 

http://www.towpathmarathon.net/

It will cost about $44 million to extend the trail from Harvard Avenue to the proposed Canal Basin Park in Cleveland, Kosilesky said.

 

The project will be broken into five phases. The contract on engineering the first leg will probably be awarded in the next month or so, he said.

 

Designing that leg may take three to four years, with construction taking another year or two, he said.

 

A contract to design the last leg will probably be awarded in 2009 and construction would be in 2014-15, he said.

 

2014?  is this a joke?  i thought there was 25 million in hand or committed, which according the the second article is what the cost should be.  8 years seems like a very long time for a project that apparently has no opponents. 

I'm surprised by the amount of time needed for design. Three or four years for each leg? That seems a little excessive, even given the challenges. But I'm very happy to hear that much of the necessary money has been committed.

I can understand why you might be inclined to do the construction at different time intervals, but is it really necessary to do the five design components separately? It seems like a great deal of time could be saved by simply designing the entire system concurrently. Meanwhile, if we do have to wait until 2014 for a completed trail, I would personally be a fan of starting from the lakefront and working southward, with neighborhood connectors being built concurrently.

$25 million is already committed. That's great.

 

How about Canal Basin Park?  Is that included? They always include a brief mention of it, but never anything in depth.  The park would be a huge asset to downtown. 

From the 10/5/06 Sun Courier:

 

 

Two pedestrian bridges should be open soon

Thursday, October 05, 2006

By John Kametz

The Sun Courier

 

Although the project met generally good weather this summer, Cleveland Metroparks officials say the almost daily deluges of rain this past month have frustrated contractors' efforts to complete work on the two pedestrian bridges over Granger Road in Valley View and Warner Road in Garfield Heights.

 

Despite this, Dick Kerber, Metroparks director of planning, said crews hope to complete most of the finishing touches on the Valley View span by this weekend, and make similar progress toward the opening of the Warner Road bridge within the next couple weeks.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/sun/suncourier/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1160066924116430.xml&coll=3

---

From the 10/7/06 ABJ:

 

 

Towpath Trail gets new money

State grants cover work in southern Summit, south edge of Cleveland

By Bob Downing

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail has received two financial boosts toward expansion.

 

Metro Parks, Serving Summit County, will get $250,000 to build a section of the trail in southern Summit County, and Cuyahoga County Engineer Robert Klaiber is to receive $425,000 for a section at the southern edge of Cleveland.

 

Both grants came from the final round of Clean Ohio Trail Funds.

 

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/15702440.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

 

From the 10/11/06 Canton Repository:

 

 

PHOTO: PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER Ironworkers Terry Nelson and Larry Moore guide a section of steel into place for a bridge that spans Interstate 77 near Fort Laurens in Bolivar. The pedestrian bridge is part of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and likely will be ready for travel next spring.  Repository MICHAEL S. BALASH

 

Bridge will link 2 portions of towpath trail over I-77 in Bolivar

Wednesday, October 11, 2006 

 

BOLIVAR A bridge that will link Stark County walkers, equestrians and bicyclists to the southern portion of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail is under construction.

 

Ironworkers this week are finishing the framework of the two-lane, 800-foot-long bridge that will span Interstate 77 near Fort Laurens.

 

http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=9&ID=312699&r=12

 

Bridges open for business along the Towpath Trail

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

By John Kametz

The Sun Courier

 

Cleveland Metroparks officials could not have asked for a better day to celebrate the opening of the two pedestrian bridges that take Towpath Trail users safely up and over busy Warner and Granger roads in Garfield Heights and adjacent Valley View.

 

Temperatures were in the near-70s Nov. 9 as park officials, the two communities' mayors and other dignitaries gathered at the Warner Road span for the celebratory event gathered for the opening were members of several hiking and cycling clubs, and mothers with strollers.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/suncourier/news/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1163619538165360.xml&coll=4

 

Sun News:

 

Work will start soon on trail link

Thursday, February 08, 2007

By Ken Prendergast

Brooklyn Sun Journal

 

CLEVELAND This spring, construction is scheduled to begin on a hiking/biking trail linking Old Brooklyn to the Cuyahoga River valley, the Towpath Trail and Steelyard Commons. Planning for a second trail is under way to connect to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

 

Details of both trails were discussed Wednesday at a public meeting at Windows on the World at the zoo.

That's great!  Sounds like there's still much to be done to really connect this trail to the rest of the system, though.  Anyone want to map this for those unfamiliar with the area?

A map of the proposed trails and the one being constructed follows. The link for a larger version is:

 

http://www.friendsofbigcreek.org/proptrail0602.png

 

 

From the 1/25/07 ABJ:

 

 

Key piece is added to Akron canal trail

Cyclists, pedestrians will cross steel bridge for downtown loop

By Bob Downing

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

Another piece of the Ohio & Erie Canal Trail was lowered into place Wednesday in downtown Akron.

 

A crane placed a 16-ton bridge for bicyclists and pedestrians over the canal near Canal Park and Lock 2 Park.

 

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/16541447.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

 

From the 3/7/07 ABJ:

 

 

PHOTO: Akron boys fish off a floating bridge on the south end of Summit Lake in the early 20th century. A floating path is planned for the Towpath Trail across the lake.

 

Floating trail proposed for canal towpath

History could repeat itself on Akron's Summit Lake

By Bob Downing

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

Something new is planned for the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in South Akron: a floating trail.

 

It's the key element of a 7,000-foot extension planned by the City of Akron between Summit Lake and Wilbeth Road.

 

The floating section -- 14 feet wide -- will follow the southern quarter of the lake and extend to the south under the Kenmore Boulevard bridge, said project engineer Michael Teodecki.

 

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/living/travel/visitors_guide/16850224.htm?source=rss&channel=ohio_news

 

I'm very glad to see the Towpath being completed up to the Flats.  The towpath has always been a great project. 

 

I've always been curious if bike path could be funded in a similar way that "hook and bullet" taxes help pay for public hunting and fishing areas-- place a small tax on the sale of bicycles and bicycle related equipment (except perhaps helmets).  I think "hook and bullet" taxes are less than 2%. 

 

Just a thought...

Towpath planning hits snag in Akron

Landowner wants more than appraised value

By Bob Downing

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is in a quandary over building a section of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.

 

A piece of privately owned land is needed to complete a section of the popular trail between Manchester and West Waterloo roads along the Akron-Coventry Township border,

 

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/17046912.htm

^ That Bonner guy sounds like a real jerk. 

Towpath Trail

Public Meeting

 

April 17, 2007

 

4:00 PM – 8:00 PM

 

by Tim Donovan

 

 

Join us at the public meeting open house at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Windows on the World, Zoo Administration Building to learn and to provide suggestions and comments for the first phase development of the Towpath Trail from Harvard Road to Steelyard Commons. Help shape the future of the Towpath Trail.

Planning for Towpath Trail: Segment one

GreenCityBlueLake

04.18.07

 

Piece by piece, the $48 million plans for the Towpath Trail extension—as it winds its way the final six miles from Metroparks CanalWay Reservation to the Flats and, possibly, the Cleveland Lakefront—are falling into place.

 

An eight-group partnership including Cuyahoga County, Cleveland Metroparks and Ohio Canal Corridor presented plans at the Zoo on April 17, 2007, that mostly focused on Stage One—a one-mile segment of multi-use path from the current terminus north to the new trail loop at Steelyard Commons ...

 

... More at http://www.gcbl.org/planning/canalway/towpath-trail/planning-for-towpath-trail-segment-one

Good stuff.

I think its been said before somewhere in the forum (at the very least, I have thought it hundreds of time and probably told people as many times), but by 2010 there is going to be so much freaking construction going on in the city.

This.

 

Innerbelt.

West Shoreway.

County Building.

Flats.

So on and so on

Pedal to the metal, er, steel

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Laura Johnston

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

The Towpath Trail won't reach downtown Cleveland until 2014, but cyclists now can ride north of old Harvard Avenue toward Lake Erie without having to ride on busy city streets.

 

A new 1.75-mile asphalt path, paid for by the Steelyard Commons shopping center, allows bikers to pedal through old industrial lands near the Cuyahoga River, making it easier to ride from Akron to the lake.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/117861347662500.xml&coll=2

 

^ Has anyone tried this trail segment? Bill Callahan rather slams it in his blog: http://www.callahansclevelanddiary.com/?p=264.

 

Does anyone know what happens on the southern end of the site? What "riverside roads" will get me from this leg down to the Towpath proper (Jennings)? I'm a little disappointed that the article doesn't reference specific routes for the missing 3/4 mile stretch, and more than a little disappointed that neither the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission nor the Steelyard Commons websites have updated their sites to reflect the trail progress (though thank you, Cleveland Planning Commission, for your updates).

 

^ http://planning.co.cuyahoga.oh.us/towpath/route.html

EDIT: I see you have been to the site.

^ Has anyone tried this trail segment? Bill Callahan rather slams it in his blog: http://www.callahansclevelanddiary.com/?p=264.

 

i walked the route about a week and a half ago.  i agree with some of his criticisms.  the trail itself is very nice and there are some plantings along the way, but there is an 8 foot chain link fence on both sides.  i can certainly see why for the train track side, but not sure if this was absolutely necessary for the back of the buildings as well.  if nothing else, it would be nice if there was an exit or 2 off of the trail.  as it is now, once you enter you have to finish or turn back. 

Towpath is topic of City Club talk

Posted by Sun News June 25, 2007 06:54AM

 

The City Club of Cleveland will host Tom Yablonsky of the Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corp. and community leaders on their efforts to connect the Towpath Trail to downtown Cleveland at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Leonard Kreiger CanalWay Center, Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation, 4524 E. 49th St. in Cuyahoga Heights.

 

Tickets are $10 for members and $15 for non-members. Tickets must be purchased in advance and are non-refundable. They can be purchased by calling (216) 621-0082 or visiting www.cityclub.org.

 

From WCPN:

 

Finishing the Towpath Trail

The Sound of Ideas: Tuesday, July 3 at 9:00 AM

The Towpath Trail is well on its way to becoming a top Northeast Ohio attraction. Finishing the last few miles, however, will take a bit more time and a lot more money. The Towpath Trail draws thousands of visitors to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. And planners say it could do the same for downtown Cleveland, if only the trail extended that far. We'll talk about that dream and what's holding it up, on The Sound of Ideas Tuesday morning at nine on 90.3. 

 

[Listen]

[mp3=200,20,0,center]http://www.wcpn.org/podcast/audio/2007/07/0703soi.mp3[/mp3]

ahh, now i know why you wanted that mod.

 

except for the part how he sounds like a chipmunk

West Side Sun:

 

Trail takes in Steelyard

Thursday, September 06, 2007

By Ken Prendergast

West Side Sun News

 

At a grand opening this week, backers of the Towpath Trail called it a path to progress for Cleveland neighborhoods.

 

The trail, which links Cleveland with the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, as well as to Akron and Canton, is being built in bits and pieces as funding becomes available. The most recent addition is a 1.1-mile section routed through the grounds of Steelyard Commons and paid for by the retail center's developer, Mitchell Schneider.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/westsidesun/news/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1189018037172260.xml&coll=4

Brooklyn Sun Journal:

 

Towpath Trail extends through Steelyard site

Thursday, September 13, 2007

By Ken Prendergast

Brooklyn Sun Journal

 

CLEVELAND At a grand opening last week, backers of the Towpath Trail called it a path to progress for Cleveland neighborhoods.

 

The trail, which links Cleveland with the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, as well as to Akron and Canton, is being built in bits and pieces as funding becomes available. The most recent addition is a 1.1-mile section routed through the grounds of Steelyard Commons and paid for by the retail center's developer, Mitchell Schneider.

pd:

 

House OK'd bill would get extra $1 million a year for Ohio & Erie Canal towpath

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Plain Dealer Bureau

 

Washington -- The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a measure that would make the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Canalway's towpath trail eligible for an extra $1 million in yearly federal money through 2012.

 

The trail stretches 101 miles from Cleveland to Tuscarawas County. It had more than 3 million visitors last year, said the bill's sponsor, Navarre GOP Rep. Ralph Regula.

Does anyone know when the Treadway Connector between Harmody Park and Jennings Road is scheduled to open?

 

And any insights on when the Old Harvard bridge replacement will be completed?  It was closed to all traffic a couple of days this week.

 

^ The Treadway Connector from Harmody Park to the Towpath seems to be complete.  If I can get out there this weekend, I will post photos.  There are all kinds of bike signs around Jennings.

The engineering work is just about to begin on the section that'll connect the current northern terminus to Steelyard Commons. It looks like construction will start in 2009. The money is already in hand.

We hiked the 3.5 miles segment past locks 7, 8, 9, and 10 on November 3.   This segment is from the Zoar trailhead up to and over the very large bridge over I-77 to Fort Laurens.  The trail is very nice, we saw male and female deer, Cedar Waxwings and many other birds.  There are nice placards at the locks.  The trail surface is about like the original towpath with some added limestone.  It is twisty-turney with some curves and dropouts.  Better pay attention because you don't want to run your bicycle off the embankment.  No fences here.  You can see odd structures where they turned the canal impoundments into a fish hatchery early in the 20th century.

 

The village of Zoar is worth a visit.  The separatists built some very nice buildings for their commune starting in 1817.  These masonry buildings are in very good condition.  The builders did a great job considering that they built Zoar out in a wilderness full of wolves and wildlife.  The village actually predated the canal by a few years.  They took advantage of the Ohio to Erie Canal project and built one of the locks, dug the channel and used the proceeds to pay off their mortgage.  They built a connector channel to bring guests up to the highly regarded Zoar Hotel.  It was known for great German food.

 

The visitor center at the old firehouse/stable has some wonderful exhibits including the color cover art for 19th century childrens' books--in German.

 

http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/ne10/index.shtml

^Cool.  I really look forward to biking the entire length of the finished trail someday.

^Cool.  I really look forward to biking the entire length of the finished trail someday.

 

Speaking of biking, has anyone done Bike Aboard on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad? 

(Per the Plain Dealer)

 

Treadway Creek trail complete

 

Neighbors and supporters will meet at Harmody Park in Old Brooklyn from noon to 3 p.m. today to celebrate the opening of a new all-purpose trail that connects the park to the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway's Towpath Trail. The official opening of the Treadway Creek Greenway won't be until spring. The neighborhood opening is to celebrate the completion of the $1.3 million project, promote trail use and begin to organize community support for its maintenance, group officials said. The park is at 1700 Mayview Ave.