At 11 this morning, partners from seven public entities cut the ribbon on the span to open the new section of the 101-mile Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail that will extend from Cleveland’s Canal Basin Park near Lake Erie, south through Akron and eventually on to Dover and New Philadelphia.

The $2.8 million project includes the bridge that runs east-west over Route 59 and was built by Kenmore Construction Company. Funded by the City of Akron, Clean Ohio, federal funds and the Knight Foundation, the bridge spans 270 feet and connects via tunnel to the towpath as it moves north toward and under West Market Street.

"This is the new gateway for the towpath," said Mayor Don Plusquellic. "This further establishes our vision of Akron being a city of neighborhoods within a park."

The bridge now connects---to the north---the towpath through the Cascade Locks Park and to the south through the central city, behind Canal Park and beyond. And Akron is currently constructing another section of towpath trail from the north end of Summit Lake to Wilbeth Road. Part of that trail will actually float across Summit Lake as a floating dock section. Most of the trail is on the ground right next to the canal, but the last 1400 feet at the south end of Summit Lake is actually on a floating dock section out in the lake. The floating section starts at Lewis Street, goes under Kenmore Boulevard and then gets back on ground about 500 feet south of Kenmore Boulevard.

In 2009, Akron will construct another section from Wilbeth to Waterloo Road and the section of trail behind the Advanced Elastomer System building on South Main Street near Cedar Street.

Today’s ribbon cutting included Ohio Senator Tom Sawyer; Summit County Executive Russ Pry; Keith Shy of Metro Parks, Serving Summit County; Dan Rice, Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition; Kimberlee McKee, Downtown Akron Partnership, and Bridget Garvin, Cascade Locks Park Association.

Sawyer gave credit to Congressman Ralph Regula of Navarre in Stark County for his vision, conceived 40 years ago as a dream to save the recreational and historical resources of the Ohio & Erie Canal.

"Ralph Regula and Allan Simpson from the Canton Repository, nurtured, advocated and championed the concept of saving natural resources," said Sawyer. "This trail is a state and national resource that demonstrates the importance of promoting conservation while stimulating community and economic development."

Dan Rice of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition said this portion of the towpath represents "one of the critical linkages along the 101-mile trail" and is a "true example of regionalism" in action.

Keith Shy of the Metro Parks, Serving Summit County noted that, "Through the network of trails and greenways, the people of the county are able to enjoy the full 3,200 acres of parks and open space that we are so fortunate to have."

Plusquellic echoed Sawyer’s comments about how natural resources can stimulate a community. "These are magnets for businesses and neighborhood development. People enjoy living and working close to nature," he said.

A partner in crafting development agreements to maintain two significant corporate entities in Akron, Summit County Executive Russ Pry is also the coordinator for the Summit County Trail and Greenway Plan.

Pry said Friday, "It is no mistake that both the new Goodyear World Headquarters and Bridgestone Firestone’s new Research Center will include trail and greenway elements so employees may enjoy the benefits."

The county’s Trail and Greenway Plan links communities of Summit County with a network of trails and greenways designed to create not only recreational opportunities but to encourage alternative forms of transportation.

The ribbon cutting and bridge dedication kicked off Bike Week in the city of Akron. Filled with activities that center on cycling, Bike Week encourages the use of two wheels for recreation, fitness and as a form of transportation. You can learn more about Bike Week by going to the City of Akron website: http://www.akronbikeinfo.org/.

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