For the first time in decades, a key part of one of Moline's most popular parks has been repaired.
Friday morning, city officials cut a ribbon to celebrate the re-surfacing of the bike and pedestrian trail on the Ben Butterworth Parkway.
Park Board president and former mayor, Don Welvaert, says construction of the bike trail began in 1970, and the last segment was completed in 1988.
"There were a lot of dips and settling spots where there had been puddles - a lot of spots that were simply breaking up. And it was time to take the top 1 1/2 inches off and put a new surface on."
The city gave the money for the project, 240,000 dollars, to the park board.
Welvaert says the trail is important because of its length and location.
"It's probably our most visible park in Moline and we're very proud of it. It's not every community that has the Mississippi River at its doorstep to take advantage of this."
As a reminder, he says Ben Butterworth Parkway is the name of the riverfront park, and in 1995 the trail itself was named for Ralph Birks, an early advocate for parks and the trail in Moline.
