MOUNT VERNON — Local officials are working to make a connector trail between the Kokosing Gap and Mohican Valley trails a reality.
Representatives of Danville, the Knox County Park District, the Knox Community Foundation, the Area Development Foundation, and the Kokosing Gap Trail Board met with the county commissioners on March 14 to review preliminary plans.
The KGT ends at Richards Street in Danville, and the MVT begins at East Street. Connecting the two is one initiative in the village’s strategic plan.
“Typically, trails would follow the railroad bed, but Danville Feed and Supply has a building on the railroad bed,” explained Sam Filkins, ADF vice president.
“We looked at using an existing bridge on the state route, but it wasn’t wide enough to do a bike trail, and we would have to build a new bridge. That would cost too much.”
Lisa Loyd of the KCF added, “We think the easiest way is to build a bridge over the creek behind the feed mill in Danville.”
Plans call for cyclists to come off of the KGT, head north on Richards Street to Tilton Street, and then east to South Market Street.
Cyclists will cross South Market onto village-owned land, skirt the perimeter of what will become Thomas Wayne Cottrell Jr. Memorial Park, cross the new bridge, and access the Mohican Valley Trail.
The connector trail will be a raised boardwalk over the wetlands areas.
The crosswalk on South Market will include warning lights and roadway striping.
Connector trail brings commerce
Filkins said Danville is one of the few villages that import workers. More than 32 percent of them are in retail and food services.
“They would benefit from tourism and commerce,” he said. “The reality is we’re not able to build a large industrial place in Danville,…
