Construction could start this summer on the final piece of a long-dreamed bike trail in Colorado.
A stretch mapped at 7 1/2 miles is all that remains of the Eagle Valley Trail — the 63-mile vision to take cyclists off Interstate 70 from the top of Vail Pass to Glenwood Canyon, with connections to towns in between.
The connections span beyond: Eagle Valley Trail ties with other regional networks between Summit, Garfield and Pitkin counties, granting the possibility of a long, scenic tour from Breckenridge to Aspen.
For everyday cyclists and destination tourists, Eagle Valley Trail represents "a game changer," said Kevin Sharkey, who has overseen the project for Eagle County.
He traces the vision back to 1996, when voters approved a sales tax initiative to fund trail expansions and maintenance. The county has been one major source of funding, along with local governments, federal grant programs and Great Outdoors Colorado.
The state agency in March announced a $7 million grant to fill the final gap between Wolcott and Edwards. Of the $38 million previously projected to complete Eagle Valley Trail, that brought total funds collected to $35 million, Sharkey said.
"The light is definitely at the end of the tunnel," he said.
But the finish won't be easy. "We did save the hardest and also most expensive for last," Sharkey said.
While he said the aim is to start construction this season near Horn Ranch Open Space on the Wolcott side, the more likely goal is to finish the full, 7 1/2-mile segment by the end of 2025 — "if everything falls into place with funding and everything."
Millions of more dollars will be needed and careful engineering designed and executed to finish the job, Sharkey explained. The stretch will require retaining walls along steep riverbanks and reworked shoulders of U.S. 6 — similar to past construction on a portion through EagleVail.
Fundraising and complications "might slow us down," Sharkey said. "But we're not gonna give up."
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