Brighton East Rail Trail Project moving forward in Kentucky

Brighton East Rail Trail Project Moving Forward in Kentucky

Design work and the selection of a consultant for the Brighton East Rail Trail project along a portion of the former C&O's Lexington Subdivision in Kentucky began during the summer of 2000, according to Keith Lovan, a senior municipal engineer with the Lexington, Ky., Division of Engineering-- Department of Public Works. Right-of-way acquisition was recently completed and construction is slated to begin in late 2001.

This project, the first significant rail conversion along the 109-mile Lexington Subdivision (abandoned in the mid-1980s), has the potential to connect with other rail trail projects along the line, Mr. Lovin noted. The communities of Winchester, Mt. Sterling, Morehead, and Grayson are in various stages of planning their own rail trail projects.

Conceptual planning for the Brighton East Trail project got underway in the early 1990s. Final funding was approved in the summer of 1999 with a $460,000 grant from Kentucky's Transportation Enhancement Program. Two other agencies provided additional finding prior to that. Mr. Lovan said nearly $900,000 is available for the design, right-of-way purchase, and construction.

The Brighton project is a two-mile, 12-foot-wide asphalt path from Bryant Road to Deer Haven Lane in eastern Fayette County. It will be a tree-lined trail suitable for walkers, joggers, cyclists, in-line skaters and other non-motorized users. The path will connect two neighborhood parks with several neighborhoods to provide both urban and rural setting with passive recreational opportunities for all ages. Ed Lyon

Copyright Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society, Inc. Nov 2001
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved