Marion bike underpass closes lanes on Highway 13

MARION - Workers closed off portions of Highway 13 this week as part of the second portion of a multiphase, long-term project to create a trail network in Marion.

Crews will build a nearly $1 million highway underpass to serve as a connection between Linn County's Grant Wood Trail and Marion's trail system.

City Engineer Dan Whitlow said the project, which will be completed in about two months, will close traffic on eastbound and westbound lanes at separate intervals as workers cut open the highway to place pipes to complete the 230-foot tunnel.

Without an underpass, Grant Wood Trail users would be left to cross Highway 13 to gain access to Marion's trails. The underpass will offer pedestrians and cyclists a safe option, said Kesha Billings, Marion associate planner.

'The height of traffic and speed of traffic is a significant barrier for pedestrians to get from one side to the other,” Billings said.

Creating a Marion trail network and connecting it through the metropolitan area has been the city's goal for 20 years, with plans to expand and improve the system ongoing, Whitlow said.

Marion has a smattering of trails throughout the city, including bike lanes, trails along roads and green space trails that link parks and community facilities. Future projects will form a trail network that will eventually link to other systems in Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha.

Linn County Conservation, which owns and maintains the Grant Wood Trail east of Marion, is also working on completing a new parking lot for trail users that can be accessed from 62nd street. The old parking lot could only be accessed from Highway 13,

The project is partially funded by federal dollars specifically set aside to help cities create a balanced transportation system. The city obtained a $480,000 grant from the federal government, leaving the City of Marion and Linn County to split the additional $440,000.

Ron Neyens, a member of a cycling group called the Marion Road Hogs, said members of the group often use the Marion trail system to commute to work. Neyens, 60, a retired Rockwell Collins employee, uses trails to bike to restaurants in town.

'It's useful, and it's more useful when there's a destination to go to,” Neyens said. 'When I was in Europe, we had trails over there that were just amazing, so this is nice to see coming along.”