Public meetings set on proposed trails

The city of Maryville has scheduled a pair of public meetings related to construction of two new hiking/biking trails, both of which link to existing portions of the city's growing recreational trail network.

Preliminary design work is complete for both projects, which are being largely funded with Transportation Enhancement Program grants through the Missouri Department of Transportation.

The meetings are intended to give neighborhood residents a chance to provide input on the trails' design before the plans are submitted to MoDOT for approval.

Set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27, at City Hall, the first session will address a concrete trail-and-sidewalk project to run east and west along East Seventh Street between North Davis and North Main, then north on Main and west along West Ninth to North Walnut.

The .63-mile trail will take advantage of an existing stretch of new sidewalk for its dogleg up Main Street.

MoDOT is to provide up to $240,000 of the construction cost with the city responsible for a 30 percent match, estimated at a little more than $104,000. Total cost, therefore, is $344,430.

The second public meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, also at City Hall, is in connection with a proposed U-shaped paved trail in the Beal Park neighborhood running north and south beside Laura Street adjoining the park with east/west arms along East Seventh and East Fourth streets between Laura and North Davis.

Construction cost for the 10-foot-wide trail, which will extend about eight-tenths of a mile, is estimated at $417,578 with a 40 percent city match of approximately $177,000.

Representatives from the engineering firm of Olsson Associates, along with municipal staff, will be at both meetings in order to answer questions and note concerns. For more information, call Maryville Public Works Director C.E. Goodall at (660) 562-8012.