East Moline City Engineer Tim Kammler says this phase of the Grand Illinois Trail Connector cost nearly four million dollars, from all levels of government.
“It is great to be cutting a ribbon and celebrating a project that is done-- that has literally taken decades of work. It’s taken collaboration from state and federal officials, from local electeds, from technical staff. And we’ve done work across multiple communities, not just East Moline, but Silvis, Carbon Cliff, out to Colona.”
It took twenty plus years to plan and complete the now 4.5 mile trail.
Kammler says the project will attract tourists and provide safe walkways for school children.
“We need to prioritize pedestrians and cyclists more in our community. Those are things that instill a sense of home and a place. In East Moline, we’re a city that’s really striving to do that.”
Eventually, the Grand Illinois Trail will connect northern Rock Island County to Rockford and Chicago, totaling 475 miles.
At today's ribbon cutting, U-S Representative Cheri Bustos joined the mayors of Silvis and East Moline.
