Groundbreaking on Minturn Section of Eagle Valley Trail Excites County

Groundbreaking on Minturn Section of Eagle Valley Trail Excites County

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Kevin Sharkey

Trails Program Manager

970-328-3523

kevin.sharkey@eaglecounty.us


August 23, 2023 — The public is invited to join Eagle County Commissioners and members of the Minturn Town Council for a groundbreaking ceremony for one of the final segments of the Eagle Valley Trail (EVT) on  Aug. 29, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. just off U.S. Highway 24 on County Road 14 heading toward Minturn from Dowd Junction. Come celebrate the beginning of construction on the one-mile Minturn trail section, scheduled for completion by the end of 2023. The Minturn spur will provide a vital connection for residents to the EVT.


When it opens for use in the spring, residents of Minturn will be able to access the EVT from the town and travel by foot or bike east toward Vail and west toward Edwards without having to use the road. 


“Having access to the Eagle Valley Trail will provide Minturn residents and visitors to our area with safe off-highway riding to get to work and school or to ride for recreation,” said Minturn mayor Earle Bidez. “Having this access to the larger trail system and connecting Minturn to the rest of Eagle County is a game-changer for our community.”


The Minturn connection is the last segment of the EVT to begin construction in 2023. Earlier this year the county broke ground on trail segments between EagleVail and Dowd Junction that are scheduled to be completed this fall. “This is the third of the final four trail segments for the EVT,” said Commissioner Jeanne McQueeney


Once the final segments are complete, the EVT will traverse 63 miles through Eagle County from the top of Vail Pass to Glenwood Canyon. The county recognized the need for a paved recreational path to provide residents with equitable, sustainable, and safe access to the entire county and the outdoors. The EVT links to trail systems in other counties, giving residents and visitors access to dozens of miles of trails.


“After we complete the Minturn spur trail, all we have left is construction on the Horn Ranch to Edwards section, which we are planning for next year,” said Commissioner McQueeney.  “Fundraising efforts are underway to assist with the cost of the final section of the trail, which will be the longest and most expensive in the project thus far. The fundraising campaign committee is 73 percent of the way to reaching the overall goal of $38 million with $11 million left to secure. Of that, the community has been tasked with raising $3 million, of which over $250,000 has been raised.”


For more information or to donate to the fundraising efforts, visit EagleValleyTrail.org.

EV Trail Groundbreaking Location Map

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