Progress begins on Watkins Lake Trail

View of phase one of the Watkins Lake Trail from Austin Road, starting just west of the Teijin Stamping Plant in Manchester Township.

Travelers along Austin Road west of town may have noticed some tree clearing going on. This is a significant step forward in the development of the Watkins Lake Trail, which has been under discussion for a few years now.

"We are in the process of developing access to this trail segment; however, it may be some time before the trail is open to the public," said Kira Macyda of Washtenaw County Parks. "At present, we are reviewing potential trail surface materials and parking options. We will also need to install a crosswalk at Sharon Road Hollow and pedestrian signage along Austin."

Principal planner Pete Sanderson, who is managing the tree clearing project along the old railroad corridor, added, "We did the (minimal) tree clearing work prior to March 31 to protect federally protected bat species. The actual trail construction work is currently out for bids and we hope to award a contract at our May 11 Commission meeting (assuming the project is on budget)."

Sanderson said that the bids received will determine the type of material used, "but we are planning to use a 10-foot wide compacted gravel surface — either limestone or recycled/crushed asphalt to accommodate pedestrians and bicycles, while meeting ADA standards."

The final timeline will be determined in coordination with the contractor after a contract is awarded, according to Sanderson. He said commissioners hope to build at least part of the trail this year (Austin to Sharon Hollow, 4,700 feet long) and could potentially do more depending on how the bids look.

"The whole project to get to the existing DNR parking lot off Arnold Road is about 3.5 miles long," he said. "We’ll have more information on this project soon."

It's exciting to see progress being made on the long-awaited trail, said Macyda, which will be a beautiful addition to the Manchester community. More information will be made available in late May, once bids are received and materials are decided upon.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.