Many of the more than 2 million visitors each year to the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail are drawn by wooded vistas, even close encounters with wildlife. Yet the canal, once the backbone of commerce in the region, also works its way through densely populated and industrial urban settings.
Those parts of the journey are no less fascinating, adding insights into how cities like Akron first developed. The challenge for today’s engineers and planners is how to surmount the difficulties posed by working in such cramped quarters.
Last week, Akron became the first major city to meet the challenge, announcing the completion of the Towpath Trail within its boundaries. In all, the section provides about 10 miles for hiking, cycling and running from north to south. The final half-mile, starting just south of the Advanced Elastomer System complex on Falor Street, heads south, connecting just south of West Bartges Street.
The project, including the cost of reconstructing the Bartges Street bridge over the canal, cost about $6 million, with federal funds picking up all but nearly $2 million. Bridge work still must be completed, along with a short section of the trail directly behind Akron Energy Systems. The paved trail from West Bartges to West Thornton Street also is being upgraded to Towpath standards, at an additional cost of about $900,000.
Eventually, the Towpath Trail will stretch 101 miles, from Cleveland to New Philadelphia. With about 87 miles completed, the value of moving forward never has been clearer, Akron helping to lead the way. The final sections, including 1.25 miles in New Franklin and Barberton, completing the trail in Summit County, will add to the towpath experience by connecting diverse landscapes throughout Northeast Ohio.
