Rails to Trails extension under way

East Porterville residents may soon enjoy brisk bicycle rides and leisurely evening strolls along the newest addition to the city’s Rails to Trails Parkway.  

The 1,000-foot-long addition will extend the existing bike path that runs from Henderson Avenue to Olive Avenue down to Orange Avenue, according to Parks and Leisure Services Director Milt Stowe.

Design for the close to $246,000 project, funded through a combination of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Measure R, and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars, has been in the works since August, Stowe said.

“It’s designed in continuity to a future ball field at the Heritage Center,” Stowe said, adding that the city is working on obtaining funding for a field through Proposition 84, California’s 2006 Safe Drinking Water Bond Act.

The project contractor, Dawson-Mauldin Construction Inc. based in Huntington Beach, has begun grading and irrigation installation at the site.

The trail will be made of an aggregate-base rock fill, with surrounding sod and mulch along with newly-planted trees.  

A walking deck will be laid over what Stowe said is an existing historical trestle, increasing its integrity.  

“It’s going to be really nice. We’re going to see a huge improvement in that area, people are going to love it,” he said.

“Trails are very important as far as the community’s health and it gives people a chance to get from place to place without having to go through the hustle and bustle of the city.”
The project is expected to reach completion in September, and in roughly one year, the trail will be paved.