Stockbridge area to receive $809,000 for trail upgrades

Article and photos by Matt Pegouskie

On Tuesday, March 13, the Ingham County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a Parks and Recreation Trail Millage resolution that includes more than $809,000 for upgrades to the Mike Levine Lakelands Trail State Park segment within the Stockbridge School District. The resolution includes 13 other trail projects that will be funded throughout the county.

The Lakelands Trail project will run the entire length of the segment located within Ingham County. The Stockbridge funding will be split evenly between 2018 and 2019, allowing for the entire 4.2-mile segment within the county limits to be resurfaced with a 10-foot wide crushed aggregate base that can accommodate all non-motorized users. The 1-mile segment within the Village of Stockbridge will then be finished with asphalt. Construction is scheduled for completion by June 2019.

The Stockbridge funding will be split evenly between 2018 and 2019, allowing for the entire 4.2-mile segment within the county limits to be resurfaced with a 10-foot wide crushed aggregate base that can accommodate all non-motorized users.

“We are grateful for the support Ingham County’s Board of Commissioners and Ingham County Parks and Recreation Commission has given this proposal,” said Matt Pegouskie, 5 Healthy Towns Foundation Community Investment Manager. “The improvements will allow more people to use the trail system and continue to make Stockbridge a destination for trail enthusiasts around the region.”

The project occurs at a time when trail construction and improvements are happening around the Stockbridge area. As the Stockbridge Community News reported on Dec. 20, 2017, MDOT has granted $700,000 for the Unadilla Township leg.

In addition, Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, Michigan Department of Transportation and Michigan Department of Natural Resources broke ground on a trail segment that will connect Chelsea to Green Lake Campground in Waterloo Recreation Area. Improvements and trail construction are also happening along the Lakeland Trail in Jackson and Livingston Counties. The improvements include the same 10-foot wide crushed aggregate surfaces in Jackson County and Unadilla Township, with some asphalt improvements happening in Gregory.

For more information, contact Matt Pegouskie at matt@5healthytowns.org.