Bid accepted to build web of trails in Flint Creek Nature Area

September 14, 2016 at 5:00 a.m.

by Randy Moll

While the above trails map prepaired by Civil Engineering of Siloam Springs is printed too small to be viewed in detail, it shows the general layout of the paved trails to be built in the Flint Creek Nature Area. A line and note was added to show the one small portion of the trail plan postponed due in part to the need to build a bridge to complete it.
While the above trails map prepaired by Civil Engineering of Siloam Springs is printed too small to be viewed in detail, it shows the general layout of the paved trails to be built in the Flint Creek Nature Area. A line and note was added to show the one small portion of the trail plan postponed due in part to the need to build a bridge to complete it.

GENTRY -- City Council, at its Sept. 6 meeting, accepted the bid of Tomlinson Asphalt to build and pave a trail system in the Flint Creek Nature Area. Tomlinson submitted the low bid of $96,880. Diamond C. Construction, the only other bidder, offered to do the job for $152,280.

The city had funding donations for $50,000 for the project ($30,000 from the Jack McKee Foundation and another $20,000 pledged from Gentry United Way). In August, the council approved a resolution to apply for a $15,000 Arkansas Rural Community Grant to build trails at the Flint Creek Nature Area. The city would have to match the grant with another $15,000. Kevin Johnston, Gentry's mayor, said the city's matching portion could be met using existing funds given or pledged for the project. The city expects to hear soon if will be awarded the grant.

The council approved the full bid price to complete all but a short bridge portion of the planned trail system so that the trails could be completed at the same time and the area and newly-built trails would suffer less damage and not need to be torn up again at each new phase if the work was to be done in several phases.

The asphalt trails will be constructed with a 4-inch gravel base and 2-inch overlay of asphalt. Some portions where there is greater risk of being washed out by high waters will include concrete. The trails will be 8-feet wide, Johnston said.

Johnston said the trails could be a part of a larger trail system being planned in the future to connect Gentry and Siloam Springs with paved trails. Sidewalks already extend south along Arkansas Highway 59 to near East Dawnhill Road and plans are to connect the new trails to the existing sidewalk system.

Ron Homeyer, of Civil Engineering in Siloam Springs and the engineer for the trail system, highly recommended the work of Tomlinson, speaking of work the paving company had done for Fayetteville.

The council's resolution authorized the mayor to use money from the city's reserves to complete all five of the trail portions at once.

General News on 09/14/2016