The Montana Department of Transportation worked with the City of Great Falls and contractors Shumaker Construction and United Materials to create a safe and beautiful extension of River’s Edge Trail between Odd Fellows Park and Upper River Road. Completed this year, the project features long-lasting concrete trail. It is one of several exciting MDT projects on Great Falls trails in 2009.

Extensive landscaping at the beautiful new Missouri River Courthouse ties into the trail. Plans for next year include replacing the aging asphalt trail between The Weissman Bridge and West Bank Park with concrete.

RTI worked with members of the Opportunities, Inc. Summer Youth Employment Program three mornings a week to trim and clean up all along the trail and pull many truckloads of noxious weeds.

The out-of-state owners of south shore riverfront lands between Cochrane and Ryan Dams agreed to sell an easement for public trails to extend from the City’s CochraneReservoir trails downstream along Ryan Reservoir to the Great Falls of the Missouri. RTI could use your help to pay for this wonderful public recreation acquisition.

The City Park & Recreation Department negotiated with Shumaker Construction to provide a new gravel trail, between Upper River Road and 13th Ave. S., through Warden Park. RTI has just received a State Trails grant to pave this trail segment next year. We could use your help with our match obligation for the grant to finish this trail in 2010.

Using MACI funds, MDT designed and built several non- motorized “enhancements” that connected new neighborhoods to the Great Falls Trail system in 2009. The projects, completed by United Materials, included new trail along 38th St. N., River Drive North and Giant Springs Road, new trail underpass of 6th Street SW along the Sun River, and the signing of 8th Ave. N. from 38th Street to Gibson Park as a Bike Route.

RTI volunteers and agency trail advocates are beginning to scout preferred alignments of trails that will someday connect River’s Edge Trail at Black Eagle Memorial Island with the North Shore Trail.

The Assphault Kickers Running Club hosted the 6th annual “Burn the Bird” fun run on Thanksgiving morning, capping off another year of organized runs, walks, races and rides on River’s Edge Trail.

A great time was had by all at the 14th annual Blues & Brews trail fundraiser featuring the Tommy Castro Band. Money raised over the years has helped make many trail improvements possible.

RTI continued to work with the Cascade County Conservation District and others to resolve the ongoing erosion of Whitmore Ravine. The size of the delta was revealed when Cochrane pool was lowered 22 feet.

In early November crews from United Materials, Inc. were making great progress on Phase 1 of the trail along Bay Drive, which sweeps through Garden Home Park and then downstream under the BNSF railroad bridge

In late November this happy family enjoys the new concrete trail near the Central Montana Electric Cooperatives building downstream from the BNSF underpass. You have got to get over and experience this great new trail!

TD&H has completed the design for Phase 2, which will link Phase 1 to West Bank Park, with underpasses of the 1st Ave. N. and Weissman Bridges. Construction is planned for early 2010 using ARRA funding.

City Engineering, Public Works and Phillips Construction completed renovation of this formerly eroded West Bank Park outfall, including new piers for the trail bridge. The new native vegetation is thriving.

The Great Falls Bicycle Club worked with the City, FWP and MCC to create and sign several miles of expert mountain bike single-track along the south shore of Cochrane Reservoir known as “Mayhem.”

New fencing, irrigation system, trees and landscaping installed and maintained by Montana Refining Company will add beauty to this popular stretch of the trail and the riverfront for many years to come.

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