New 2.5-mile bikeway section linking Montgomery, Miami counties to open

Riders can now cycle from Troy to Franklin.

Man, 68, drowns at Caesar Creek Lake
5/26/12
Water rescues prompt warning from health officials
5/25/12
Beach Waterpark sued for failure to deliver
5/25/12
Raleigh Trammell’s defense opens in felony trial
5/25/12
UD to move satellite campus to Dublin
5/25/12
> More headlines

By Terry Morris, Staff Writer Updated 12:29 AM Friday, August 12, 2011

Bikers on the Great Miami River Recreational Trail no long have to turn around before they get to Tipp City or share narrow and curvy Canal Road with motor vehicles traveling up to 55 miles an hour.

A new 2.5-mile section of the bikeway connecting Montgomery and Miami County will be unveiled today with a public opening at 10 a.m. in Kyle Park in Tipp City.

Public group bike rides heading from opposite directions will meet in the park for the ceremonies.

Construction began a year ago, “but it’s been years in the making,” said Scott Myers, deputy director of the Miami County Park District. “It took collaboration between four governmental agencies, negotiations with landowners and easements. This is a very important addition. We’re really excited about it.”

Five Rivers MetroParks, Miami County Parks, Monroe Twp. and Tipp City partnered to complete the $1.6 million connector, which was funded by a grant from the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission.

In addition to improved safety the connecting trail has made it possible to ride from Troy to Franklin in Warren County.

The new link is part of the 1,440-mile Buckeye Trail loop, and the 4,600-mile North Country National Scenic Trail, which winds from New York to North Dakota.

The North Country Trail Association, which supports the building, upkeep and promotion of the seven-state trail, is currently holding its annual conference in Dayton through Aug. 14. Activities will include classes, presentations, backpacking trips, hikes and river-paddling expeditions.

Riders who want to be part of the grand opening will head south to Kyle Park at 9 a.m. from the Hobart Arena parking lot in Troy, near the levee gazebo, or north at 9:30 a.m. for the shorter ride from the Tadmor parking lot at Taylorsville MetroPark in Vandalia, just north of U.S. 40 and Taylorsville Dam.

Myers said two additional short links of the bikeway in Miami County will make it possible to go from Tipp City to Piqua by the end of 2013.

For more information about the new connector, contact Five Rivers MetroParks at (937) 275-7275 or the Miami County Park District at (937) 335-6273.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2377 or tmorris@Dayton DailyNews.com

Share this article