WAYNESBURG - County officials hope the Greene River Trail in northeastern Greene County eventually will stretch to the Masontown Bridge, and when the latest portion is complete, it will be halfway there.
Commissioners are expected at their meeting today to hire a company to survey the area for the next leg, a 2.8-mile portion that will extend the bicycling and walking trail to an area near Jessops Boat Club.
The county started building the trail about nine years ago. It has been extended every few years and it now stands at 5.1 miles, from Greene Cove to Crucible Ferry Road. In the past, the county has received grants through the state Department of Transportation to pay for the construction, and commissioners hope to receive state money to pay for this trail expansion as well.
When the next leg is complete, it will be nearly eight miles long, and about 61/2 miles from the Masontown Bridge. When the state Deparment of Transportation builds a new bridge to carry Route 21 over the Monongahela River, it will include a bike path so cyclists can cross the river and ride on a network of trails in Fayette County.
"So, we'll be over halfway there," said J. Allen Blaker, Greene County's director of recreation.
Commissioners will consider approving a contract with Cenkner Engineering Inc. of Acme to perform survey work and preliminary planning for the project. The company is supposed to be paid $19,380.
Once the surveying is complete, the project will progress to the engineering phase and then to construction.
Blaker said he expects to begin construction in about a year.
In another matter, commissioners declared April Child Abuse Prevention Month. Michael Schlesinger, foster care coordinator for Children and Youth Services, said his department has started a child watch program with the area senior centers. Older residents are encouraged to report any incidents of suspected child abuse.
"It's a sad comment on society that we have to have a child abuse awareness month," noted Linda Jones, CYS advisory board member. However, she praised CYS for taking steps to address the issue.