Gene and Barb Ashby’s bike path in memory of their son, Chris, will be completed this summer after two years of planning with local officials.
The Ashbys have pledged $1 million toward the project and requested matching funds either by labor, grants or other funds from the county.
The 1.35-mile hard-surface Ashby Recreational Trail will connect the Luverne City Park to County Road 9 near the golf course.
Work will begin this spring, and once completed later this year, the trail will be donated to the county for maintenance.
Commissioners unanimously agreed to the arrangement at their Feb. 16 meeting when the Ashbys attended with Emily Crabtree, director of the Luverne Area Community Foundation.
LACF is fiscal agent for the project, and Crabtree has worked with the Ashbys and DGR Engineering out of Rock Rapids, Iowa, for the past four to five months to finalize property easements
“We opted to go with an 8-foot-wide trail rather than a 10-foot,” Crabtree said.
“I know a 10-foot width is what you need to apply for grants, but with the money saved by going with a narrower path, we will be able to move along at a quicker pace than waiting for grants.”
Minnesota Department of Transportation standard width for a multi-use path is 10 feet, and the 10-foot width is a requirement if the path is paid for through state dollars.
“Going with an 8-foot (wide) trail we save $200,000 and … with the guidance of DGR we opted to bypass the grant system since it (Ashby trail) is privately funded.”
Instead of waiting two years with a grant program, the Ashby project can be completed this year.
According to county highway engineer Mark Sehr, it costs about $2,000 annually to maintain the county’s current 1.5-mile section of the Luverne Loop north of town.
For nearly 20 years the county has maintained the 4-inch bituminous layer of the bike path along Blue Mound Avenue from the highway department to Blue Mounds State Park
Work includes mowing, weed control, crack sealing and surface repair, and the same tasks will be completed for the Ashby Recreational Trail.
The Ashbys first presented their idea for their trail to commissioners in April 2019, and since then county employees have assisted them in finding an appropriate route and securing easements.
Crabtree said landowners along the Ashby trail have agreed to request no money for the perpetual easements.
The trail will run through land owned by the city of Luverne, Dean and Jennifer Tofteland, William Cowell and the Rock County Sportsman’s Club.
A possible loop may be added along County Road 4 to provide a route back to the city park for the Ashby Recreational Trail.
Currently, paved shoulders are planned for along County Road 4 from the Luverne City Park east to County Road 9, the golf course road.
During a presentation of the county’s five-year road construction plan, the 10-foot shoulders are part of the construction plans for 2022. This would provide room for a multi-use paved path on the north and south sides of the road.
However, commissioners directed county highway engineer Sehr to further investigate costs and location of the bike path prior to finalizing the 2022 road improvement plans this fall.
The trail honors the Ashbys’ son, Chris, who died at age 16 in an automobile accident in 2006.