The goal of continuing the Pymatuning Valley Greenway Trail to the Pennsylvania state line is closer to reality.
Ashtabula County Metroparks Executive Director Brett Bellas recently gave the Ashtabula County Board of Commissioners an update on the southern portion of the trail.
Bellas said two stages of the trail from Dorset Township to the Pennsylvania state line have been completed, and two more are moving ahead with engineering or financial planning.
The first stage was from Leon Road to Maple Street, near the Andover Village Hall, and the second was Mill Street to Marvin Road, both of which were completed this spring and have been actively used this summer, according to multiple sources.
Bellas said the next stage is to go from Marvin Road to Slater Road, with engineering work being completed and funding secured from state grant sources, leveraging levy money.
The final stage would go from Slater Road to the Pennsylvania state line, and funding sources are being applied for at this point, Bellas said. The construction would likely be in 2027 and 2028.
“After that, we will work north,” Bellas said. He said the goal is to eventually connect the trail to Jefferson, but there are a variety of property challenges and other logistical issues to complete that goal.
One of the challenges would be to go over or under Route 11.
Bellas said a dream would be to create a covered bridge over the state route.
He said the goal is to eventually connect with the Western Reserve Greenway Trail west of Jefferson. That could be completed on village roads or possibly the new Buccaneer Metropark that was recently made part of the park system, he said.
Commissioner Casey Kozlowski asked Bellas if the trail could connect to the planned Pymatuning State Park Bike Trail. Bellas said he thought that would be possible.
Commissioner J.P. Ducro said he recently rode the trail in the Andover area and had a good time talking to people using the trail from outside the area.
Bellas said there has been stagnant progress on the Pennsylvania side regarding the goal of having a bike trail that goes all the way to Pittsburgh from the Andover area.