Ypsilanti opens new and improved Border to Border Trail

Wednesday, September 10, 2008 | Source: Concentrate

Washtenaw County's Border to Border Trail may still have some large gaps but work on it is moving forward.

About 15 miles of the 35-mile trail, stretching from the northwest corner of the county to the southeast corner, is done. The trail runs through Dexter, Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti with the latest additions coming in Ypsi.

Aproximately one mile of trail, adjacent to Eastern Michigan University from Hewitt Road to Cornell Street, is now open after being repaved in August. That section, where an old railroad bed was converted into trail, is arguably the oldest rail trail in Michigan. The former rail line connected Ypsilanti to Saline.

There are also completed segments in Dexter and Ann Arbor. Maps of those open trails can be found here.

Washtenaw County is also hoping to bridge several miles of the Dexter and Ann Arbor trail but plans are being held up by the state, which needs to approve a bridge over a small waterway.

The idea behind the Border to Border Trail is not only to provide recreational options in the county, but also create another path for economic opportunity. Supporters say the trail will serve as way to connect users to the cities (and their businesses) the trail passes through.

Source: Richard Kent, park planner for Washtenaw County and Bob Krzewinski, member of the Friends of the Border To Border Trail
Writer: Jon Zemke