LOWELL TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The Grand River Greenway, a trail along the longest river in Michigan that will run through the state's second-largest city on its continuous path from Lowell to the lakeshore, continues to see progress and support.
On Tuesday, county and township officials and other community leaders gathered at Grand River Riverfront Park in Lowell Township to celebrate the "cross-community effort to connect West Michigan communities," according to a release.
Over the course of the next two years, a total investment of $150 million — split between funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, Michigan Department of Natural Resources grants, local government budgets and more — will begin to fill in the gaps on the trail.
Upon its completion, the Grand River Greenway will span 85 miles and 12,700 acres of public land. In addition, it will also serve as a connector for other popular trails in Michigan, including the White Pine Trail and North Country Scenic Trail.
"This will truly be a total community achievement," Kent County Administrator Al Vanderberg said on Tuesday, believing the greenway to be the "most significant" trail in the state.
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In Kent County, the backbone of the trail, connecting Lowell to Ada to Plainfield Township, still needs to be completed, among other items.
"I think we're meeting a public need, a public desire," Vanderberg said. "Especially in this era where there's so much happening with mental health issues, anything we can do to help people de-stress and find themselves in a better place, I think is a good thing for us in which to be involved."
While the greenway will run through Kent and Ottawa Counties, gracing multiple townships and cities on its roll toward the lake, its supporters say those who use the it won't be so concerned about these jurisdictional borders.
They're simply looking for a fun, safe and easy way to spend time outside.
"In the grand scheme of things, they look at the trail experience as one," Ada Township Manager Julius Suchy said. "Realistically, we need to be partnering with those neighboring jurisdictions to make sure the user experience is continuous."
"If we were doing this alone, we wouldn't be nearly as far as we are," he said.
To read more about the Grand River Greenway, click here.
