Date:

June 19, 2009

For More Information Contact:

Diane Gonzolas, Citizen Information Center, 441-7831

Stacey Roach, Parks and Recreation, 441-3084

Mayor Chris Beutler invites the public to the dedication of the North 27th Street Bridge and Mopac West Trail Sunday, June 28. Donors will be recognized at the ceremony at 9:15 a.m. on the west side of the bridge near 26th and "Y" streets. Parking is available in the Peoples Health Center parking lot. The dedication is being held in conjunction with the annual Trail Trek event.

The Mopac Trail had stopped at 30th and "X" streets, and the City's acquisition of the abandoned railroad corridor made it possible to complete the trail, connecting it to 19th and Vine streets. The bridge and trail provide the final link in the Mopac Trail connecting it with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln downtown campus and the Antelope Valley trail system. The Mopac Trail also is a vial link in the Quad States Trails network.

The cost of Mopac West was $240,550, and funding came from federal enhancement funds and matching funds from the Great Plains Trails Network (GPTN). The cost of the North 27th Street Bridge is about $1.9 million. It was funded with a federal enhancement grant for $500,000, donations from GPTN totaling $125,000 and tax increment financing.

More information on the City's trails system is available at parks.lincoln.ne.gov. Information on Trail Trek is available at journalstar.com.