Manistee Rural Communities Trail and Snowmobile Bridge

Networks Northwest and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources received funding from the U.S. Economic Development Adminstration for improvements to the trail systems near the Village of Copemish and the Village of Thompsonville in Manistee County and Benzie County. The $1.25 million project included widening and resurfacing 3.21 miles of railroad grade with a gravel trail surface to extend the Betsie Valley Trail from Thompsonville to Copemish. This trail improvment project included new signage, a new trailhead parking lot, and drainage improvements. The project further included the installation of a new snowmobile bridge over Bear Creek on Snowmobile Trail LP3 in Manistee County. The creek crossing has been closed for years, since the removal of the old railroad bridge. The new 14' wide by 80' long prefabricated bridge from Cadillac Fabrication created a direct route on Trail LP3 from Copemish to Kaleva in Manistee County. GFA worked with provided full engineering design, permitting, sureying and construction services for the project that was completed by AJ's Excavating LLC.