Jackson looks at final phase of Hubble Creek Trail

With the first two phases of the Hubble Creek Recreation Trail lighted and mostly completed, the city of Jackson now will start its third and final phase to the south.

Jackson public- works director Rodney Bollinger told the board of aldermen Monday night before phase three can be constructed, the area along Hubble Creek from above West Jackson Boulevard to the Jackson soccer park has to be surveyed.

That initial surveying, engineering and designing phase — which will include exploring grant-funding opportunities — could take several years.

The city’s timeline for the project is uncertain, Bollinger said.

The first step will be to have a consulting engineer prepare a preliminary layout, including an environmental review and rights-of-way evaluation for the proposed trail, which is expected to run about 6,700 feet.

The alignment of the trail’s eventual design, Bollinger said, will depend partly on the availability and cost of easements, access drives for construction, pedestrian bridges if necessary, retaining-wall needs and utilities.

“The first step will be establishing a corridor along Hubble Creek,” Bollinger said.

City administrator Jim Roach said development along the proposed trail route could affect the project’s timeline.

“It could be accelerated by development of properties adjacent to this proposed corridor,” he said. “We don’t know of any at this point, but we do want to get started.”

He said the project represented an opportunity to talk to existing property owners along the creek.

The board will vote whether to authorize $18,300 to Smith & Company Engineers of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, to begin the engineering during its next board meeting Jan. 9.

tgraef@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3627