Northfield Officials Determined to Finish East Cannon River Trail

Northfield city leaders said they are determined to complete the East Cannon River Trail in spite of regulatory roadblocks.

The trail, slated to run along the river between the —near —and Dundas, is about 25 percent complete.

Getting government OK to build the bike trail south of the current end point at Bollenbacher Court has been difficult because of wetland regulations, said Brian Welch, Northfield’s engineering resources manager.

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Welch said the United States Army Corps of Engineers—one of the government agencies involved in the permitting process—wants the city to construct a boardwalk-type trail along the river to minimize impact to wetlands.

That option, said Welch, is too expensive for the city to build and maintain and too dangerous for potential users.

“Anyone who has tried to rollerblade or bike on a wet wooden bridge knows how difficult it could be to use that type of structure,” he said.

The East Cannon River Trail, part of the city’s trail system, is being funded primarily by Minnesota DNR Legacy Trust grants. The first segment of the trail, completed this past spring, doubles as an vehicle access road to the sanitary sewer interceptor line that was installed along the river.

The path of remaining trail segment will be determined by cost and by where government agencies will allow it to be placed, Welch said. Ideally, the trail would follow the river closely until reaching Everett Street in Dundas. A trail spur would be built at Honeylocust Drive.

Welch said that route becoming a reality is unlikely, considering the permitting roadblocks the city has encountered with the Corps of Engineers.

“I think we are going to have to come out of the woods before that,” he said.

If the proposed riverside route does not pan out, Welch said building a path along the river, then veering it to Cannon Road might be a possibility. There is potential for separate bike lanes to be built along Cannon Road as part of that plan.

The impact of that alignment on wetlands would be reduced by as much as 80 percent, Welch said.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the council directed staff to negotiate a contract with Barr Engineering to deal with wetland permitting issues. Barr worked with the city on wetland permitting for the first segment of the trail.

Welch said he would inform the council if future roadblocks hinder the project.

“The council is very much behind making sure this trail happens,” said Mayor Mary Rossing. “It’s imperative that it happens.”