Friends of the Tabor to Platte Rail to Trail
News Release
Wagner SD. March 6, 2024
A feasibility study of the proposed recreation trail on the NAPA line moved forward, according to Larry Lucas, co-chair of Friends of the Tabor to Platte Rail to Trail, at a meeting Wednesday March 6 in Wagner. This group applied for and received a federal grant through the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SD DoT) to fund a study. The study costs $250,000, of which the ‘friends group’ must pay an 18% match or $45,000.
The SD DoT, to help manage this grant, formed a 17-member Study Advisory Team (SAT) made up of stakeholders in the proposed project. Three SAT members attended the ‘friends’ meeting, Larry Lucas and Roger Huizinga of the ‘friends’ group, and Commissioner Ed VanGerpen who represents Bon Homme County on the SAT.
Huizinga said the SAT members represent very well the diverse interests involved in this proposal, as it includes advocates, skeptics and local governments.
Lucas reported that the SD DoT qualified three engineering firms to submit bids to conduct the study. Those firms are Houston Engineering of Sioux Falls SD, JEO Consulting Group of Lincoln NE, and Toole Design Group of Minneapolis MN. Lucas expected the SD DoT will award the contract by the end of April.
Ed VanGerpen asked how the prior trail proposal that included marked routes on state and county roads fits with the current study scope. Lucas stated that the study is focused on the ‘railbanked’ portion of the NAPA line which runs from Tyndall to Platte. Only small spurs like a designated route between a trailhead at Lake Andes and the North Point Recreation Area would be considered in the study. Foley stated that the State Railroad Board, which manages all state rail assets, expects a professional study of the proposal before they decide if a trail on the ‘railbanked’ line is good public policy.
Lucas mentioned that the study process includes public input and considers all aspects of the proposal. Some assessment of the railbanked line has already been done for other reasons, like property line validation and trestle inspection, and will be useful. He expects drones to be deployed, where allowed, to help assess conditions. If the State Railroad Board approves the project, the steel rail, ties, and ballast would be removed. Trail construction would occur on the berm and would maintain the grade.
Friends of the Tabor to Platte Rail to Trail contact info: Web Site: https://friendsoftabortopl.wixsite.com/website
Facebook Page: Friends of the Tabor to Platte Rail to Trail