Final leg of Han-Greenway Trail planned

Planning for the final phase of Findlay's $2.7-million Han-Greenway Trail extension is getting underway. At its regular meeting on Jan. 2, Findlay City Council heard the first reading of legislation that will appropriate $120,000 from the city's capital improvement fund for additional design and right-of-way acquisition. Work is nearly complete extending the shared-use path from East Main Cross Street east towards the County Road 236 shared-use path. The path travels under the Bright Road overpass, turns south towards Ohio 568, and then turns back to the east. The final leg of the project will extend the path further east along Ohio 568 to the Riverbend Recreational Area, 16618 Township Rd 208, at Road 241, and the covered-bridge entrance to the park. At the meeting, Findlay Engineer Jeremy Kalb said much of the additional right-of-way is needed to give users "plenty of turning space" as they prepare to cross Ohio 568 into the park. The path will run along the north side of the state route until it reaches Road 241 and the crossing. Getting users across the state route safely has been a concern with the project, he said, due to the amount of traffic on the roadway. Kalb said signage at the crossing must adhere to the Ohio Department of Transportation's guidelines, and will depend on a vehicle count and speeds. The project is being funded by a $2.2 million grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation, with the city paying the balance. The contract for the project was awarded to Helms & Sons Excavating Inc., Findlay.