Bicyclists take advantage of the warm weather this past summer as they travel along the White Lake Pathway. A proposed plan will connect this path to the Muskegon Lakeshore Trail.

Dalton Township Supervisor Chris Hall presented the revised trail plan to the Muskegon County Board of Commissioners at their meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 27.

Hall stated a previous plan approved by the board had the trail pass through the Northside Industrial Park, but the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required that the land be cleaned up of contamination before the trail be placed, which would be too costly.

Hall came back with a recommendation that the trail, which currently ends at McMillan Road, head east on McMillan and connect to Central Road. The trail would run south on Central Road and connect to River Road and head west for a short distance. The path would then follow the railroad tracks and then cross Giles Road. The path would go behind the old bowling alley on Whitehall Road and then come around to cross the light at Whitehall and Dykstra Road. Once on Dykstra, the path will turn on Witham Drive in North Muskegon. Hall said that is the one part of the path that still needs to be figured out, since the road is surrounded by old celery flats.

The Lakeshore Trail ends at Lake Avenue in North Muskegon, which is where the Fred Meijer Trail will connect to it. The new part of the trail would also connect the Fred Mejier Trail to the Scenic Drive Connector Route, which goes north on Scenic to White Lake.

The over six-mile Berry Junction trail extended the paved surface from the City of Whitehall to McMillan Road. The Hart-Montague Bicycle Trail State Park was built in the early 90s, and is scheduled to be resurfaced.

“This is the last piece of a wonderful puzzle,” Hall said.

Once this section is completed, a person could ride from Hart to Holland.

The board passed a motion to support the proposed route, have staff review it and then come back with a recommendation.