Rough grading done on first leg of Perry-to-Woodward trail

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The first phase of the Let’s Connect connector trail construction project between Perry and Woodward began this week with rough grading of the 1.56 mile route between 18th Street in Perry and 130th Street in unincorporated Dallas County.

“They’ve gone in with their bulldozers and done the rough grading of the trail, the first 1.5 miles, from one end to the other,” Dallas County Conservation Board Director Mike Wallace told the board at its June meeting. “We had a preconstruction meeting the Friday before last, and the general contractor felt confident he would be paving it in July. That’s a very good sign because it’s not going to take very long once they start putting some concrete down.”

The board in May accepted a bid from Rockwell City-based Howrey Construction to build the first 1.56 miles of the connector trail at a cost of about $570,000. Elder Corp. of Pleasant Hill, which is in town for the Willis Avenue bridge project, is the subcontractor for the grading.

“We should have a trail that can be used yet this season,” Wallace said, “with the final shoulder work and stuff like that maybe later on in the summer, but we’re going to have the first mile and a half complete this biking season.”

Land for the phase-two section of the trail — between Bouton and Woodward — has been secured along the length of the old Milwaukee Road right of way, Wallace told the conservation board in April.

“We won’t have to jog down into the road system between Bouton and Woodward at all,” he said. The city of Woodward is using funds from a Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) grant to acquire easements in town.

Construction of the trail route from 130th Street and across U.S. Highway 169 to Bouton will make the third phase.

The nine-mile Let’s Connect project has so far raised a little more than half of the estimated $5 million project costs. Wallace told the board he would apply for a state recreational trails grant again this year, but the Iowa Legislature’s cutting of the fund from $3 million to $1 million makes the likelihood small of a large grant.

Stepping up to put his skin in the game for the Let’s Connect effort, Perry City Administrator Sven Peterson announced Wednesday he will again attempt to ride a rodeo bull in order to raise funds for the project.

Peterson planned to test his bullriding skills last fall but his pride — and his hide — took a fall when he was awkwardly thrown from a bucking bronco named Jawbreaker in a Nebraska rodeo a week before the scheduled bull ride. Five cracked ribs left the administrator in Perry pain.

Undaunted, Peterson will again try his hand at bull riding Friday, June 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Dallas County Fairgrounds in Adel, where he will mount — and, let us hope, safely dismount —  Mudslinger, a black bull with large horns.

Pledges can be made per second of the bull ride or in a set dollar amount. Pledge forms are available at the Perry City Hall, on the Let’s Connect website and in downloadable form right here.