Four years after starting, the city of Craig is days away from seeing progress on the construction of the Ridgeview Trail — a trail that will extend from Ridgeview subdivision to Finley Lane.

At its regular meeting tonight,

the Craig City Council is

scheduled to award a bid for the construction of the trail to Precision Excavating of Craig for approximately $157,000.

City Parks and Recreation Department Director Dave Pike expects construction to begin shortly after the bid is awarded.

“They’re ready to start on this ASAP,” Pike said.

The bid calls for construction to be complete by mid-August.

The project began four years ago when the city received a grant from the state Department of Transportation.

The city received a total of $374,750 from the Department of Transportation and lottery proceeds, making the city’s contribution an estimated $15,750.

“The trail itself fits within the parameters of what CDOT wants to accomplish with its enhancement funds,” Pike said.

The project was delayed as grant funds were sought, the path of the trail was engineered and Pike worked to acquire easements through private property.

In one case, the council was set to pass an ordinance that would allow them to take a 50-foot portion of property through eminent

domain from California resident Arthur Dubbs, but he agreed to sell the easement.

The bike and pedestrian trail will be 10 and a half feet wide and is intended to get people off U.S. Highway 40.

“It’s really a safety issue,” Pike said. “That’s the key reason we decided to put a trail there.”

The trail is listed as a priority in the city’s parks and recreation trails master plan.

The Craig City Council is set to award the bid at its meeting that begins at 7:30 p.m. today in council chambers of Craig City Hall.

Christina M. Currie can be reached at 824-7031, Ext. 210 or by e-mail at ccurrie@craigdailypress.com.