New section of East/West Regional Trail opens
County Commissioner Lora Thomas, City of Lone Tree Mayor Jackie Millet, Keith Simons of RidgeGate Investments and Schweiger Ranch, County Commissioner Abe Laydon and John “Turk” Montepare from Great Outdoors Colorado celebrated the opening of the new segment of trail by tossing native grass seeds along part of the trail that runs past Schweiger Ranch to help revegetate the area.
By Patte Smith, photos provided by Douglas County
Another leg of the East/West Regional Trail (EWRT) was officially opened on Saturday, October 12. The new 2.5-mile segment runs from a trailhead near RidgeGate Parkway and I-25 at Schweiger Ranch to the Cabela Drive connector trail west of I-25.
Cyclists, equestrians and hikers are thrilled to have the trail open. “The trail spans open space areas from Parker all the way to Chatfield State Park,” noted County Commissioner Lora Thomas. Keith Simons of RidgeGate Investments and Schweiger Ranch added, “These are the kind of projects where growth benefits the community – new regional amenities are created.”
Officials agreed that a strong partnership between multiple agencies was key to the success of the EWRT.
This first phase of an 8-mile segment of the EWRT was made possible by a $2 million grant from Great Outdoors Colorado, Douglas County and the Town of Parker to connect Lone Tree to the Cherry Creek Trail in Parker.
Construction of the final portion of the EWRT is currently in design with construction slated for 2020. When complete, the EWRT will extend 28 miles from Parker to Chatfield State Park, connecting Douglas County with major trail systems statewide, including The Colorado Trail and Cherry Creek Trail.
