Apr 22, 2021
The Colorado Lottery recognizes the City of Montrose and Montrose Recreation District’s Connecting the People to Their Parks and Recreation “Connect Trail” project with a Starburst Award.
A $4,280,090 project, the Connecting the People to Their Parks and Recreation Trail is a monumental project for the City of Montrose, the Montrose Recreation District, and the surrounding region. The “Connect Trail” project was funded in part with $2 million from the Colorado Lottery through a Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) grant. Conservation Trust Fund (CTF) also funded $150,000 of the project. The completion of this project fulfills a vision for providing Montrose residents with safe pedestrian and bicycle access to the vast majority of recreational amenities within the city.
The new trail opened to the public in January 2020, and the community has embraced the new trail that is being used heavily, even throughout the winter months. The ‘Connect Trail’ extends the existing Uncompahgre River Trail by 2.25 miles, including 1.5-miles to the north and .75 miles to the south. Aligning with the GOCO Connect Initiative, the major benefit of the project is enhanced connectivity and accessibility.
Utilizing existing bridges, the city was able to construct two underpasses that enable pedestrians and bicyclists to safely and comfortably cross both of the busy roads. The new trail provides a continuous path, running north to south through the community, which links the city’s and the Montrose Recreation District’s parks, trails, and recreational assets.
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More than $10.5 million in Lottery funds are represented in 11 winning projects distributed statewide through grants via Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), the Conservation Trust Fund (CTF), Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), and Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST).
