St. Joseph County shouldn’t miss the opportunity to fill in some of the final gaps in a recreational trail project that’s been years in the making.
By contributing about $225,000 from the county’s tourism development fund, along with other donations and grants, the county would be able to finally pave the two-mile gap in the trail from Darden Road north to the Michigan state line.
County Engineer Jessica Clark estimates that building two sections of the trail — from Darden to Auten Road with money raised through a local charity drive, then from Auten to the state line with cash from the tourism fund — could save the county as much as $100,000. It also could shave a year off the timetable for completing the county’s portion of trail.