GENOA, Ohio — Two Ottawa County communities have always had a connection through proximity, but now they have a physical connection that will allow neighbors from both communities to enjoy nature and stay healthy.
A new stretch of the North Coast Inland Trail was opened last week, and the five-mile biking trail runs from the Village of Elmore to the Village of Genoa.
The project has been in the works since 2011, and was mostly funded through Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) grants.
It cost around $2.5 million, with the majority of the money going into repurposing a former railroad track and building multiple pedestrian bridges over creeks.
Now, the villages hope the new way of casual travel means more neighbors will be visiting the neighboring villages.
Though it's taken a while, this connection continues to increase the original intention of the North Coast Inland Trail, which according to village administrator Kevin Gladden, originated in Genoa years ago.
"I think ODOT sees the value of having the trails connected through Millbury, through Walbridge, to Toledo and the cannonball, all the way through to Fort Wayne," Gladden said.
With this stretch of the bike trail now complete, Genoa is now turning its sights to eventually extending the trail west to connect with Millbury.