By Jeffrey Cunningham MLIVE Posted Apr 9

Work is expected to start this spring on the new trail connector along the east side of Jupiter Avenue linking the sidewalks on Plainfield Avenue to West River Drive and eventually to the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail.

Plainfield Township is expected to award the $975,000 bid for the 10-foot-wide non-motorized pathway to Nagel Construction, of Wayland, in the next couple of weeks. Work is scheduled to begin by the end of May and take four to six weeks to complete.

The 1.9-mile trail is the first major project being paid for from proceeds from the township's 0.5-mill dedicated trails millage voters approved in August 2016.

Bill Fishcer, Plainfield Township Community Development director, said the new trail is important to the township as it will eventually connect the major residential areas in the southern part of the township to the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail, which is in the center of the township.

"This trail is of great benefit to the residents of the township as it takes people south of the Grand River to West River Drive," Fischer said.

Last summer the Kent County Road Commission re-striped the four-lane Jupiter Avenue bridge over the Grand River to allow for a non-motorized trail on the east side of the bridge.

The project will also allow for the connection of Airway Street to the Jupiter Avenue Trail via a stairway. Fischer said currently residents from the area surrounding Northview High School as well as Northview athletes climb down the hill on the Airway Street overpass over Jupiter Avenue to then be able to run along Jupiter Avenue north to the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail. The stairway will allow for safer access from the Airway Street overpass to the new trail, he said.