New multi-use trail makes walking to CHS safer

By Gail Peckler-Dziki~Correspondent

The Village of Paddock Lake and Central High School have worked hard together to forge a new, safe way to school.

Paddock Lake applied for and received an 80/20 percent federal grant to complete a multi-use trail that will allow students and other pedestrians to move from Salem sidewalks to Paddock Lake sidewalks that is off street and away from traffic.

Paddock Lake made application for the grant according to grant guidelines and Central Highs School must come up with the 20 percent funds for the trail completion. The grant total is $392,000. The overall length of the 10-foot wide multi-use path is 2,500 foot. The school has already constructed 765 feet of that trail.

The grant has been approved and the engineering bid has been accepted. Popanda said the acceptance was based on past performance and the company is Alfred Benesch, a company out of Racine and Kenosha. Popanda said this company has designed trails for public use and public schools in Milwaukee County and across the country.

“Because the federal government is involved and the desire is to keep things competitive, the next step is to bid the construction engineering,” Paddock Lake administrator Tim Popanda explained. “We hope that construction will start by the fall of 2013 or spring of 2014.”

One thing the school has done that will cut project costs at this point is to complete an asphalt, multi-use trail on its own property. This 765 feet of trail connects the tennis courts and parking lot to the access road. And since the access road already has an apron, there is no need to cut through curb to connect with the other portion of the trail that is yet to be built.

This portion of the trail also contains potentially expensive parts of the multi-use trail like a bridge over wetlands.

Popanda said that Central’s district administrator, Dr. Scott Pierce, has been diligent in finding ways to save money on this project.

“My hat is off to Dr. Pierce,” Popanda said. “This has been a joint effort between the village and school to look out for the public. Dr. Pierce has worked to save as much tax money as possible and provide a service to both the village and town.”


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