Grant for Bike Trail Renovations

On Thursday, May 16, the Macon County Conservation District hosted a public open house to give residents a chance to review plans for renovations to a portion of the Rock Springs-Fairview Bike Trail as well as improvements to Steven’s Creek.

The primary objectives of this project are to stabilize 1000 feet of the Steven’s Creek bank, to stop any further erosion, protect the bike path, and resurface a half mile portion of the thirty-year-old asphalt bike path.

Streambank stabilization will allow this bike path to continue to service the City of Decatur, Il. residents as well as Macon County residents for many more years. Resurfacing of the trail will improve the quality of the trail, for bike riders and hikers, as the asphalt it now thirty years old and has developed many cracks and the edges are starting to loosen and crumble.

This project will be funded through the Conservation Districts annual budget.  This Bike Path Grant will help the Conservation District’s funds go further and accomplish more in updating the bike path and stabilize the Steven’s Creek bank.  The IDNR will be involved with the project as some work will be conducted on the Stevens Creek streambank.

The bike path is on the west side of Decatur Il. running parallel to Steven’s Creek and crosses the creek twice and then crosses Sangamon River.  The half mile section of the bike path to be resurfaced and the Steven’s Creek bank stabilization are in the heart of the Rock Springs Conservation area.  This section of trail is in a wooded flood plain and the area floods on average of four times a year, usually for a couple days each flood event.