Mo-Pac Trail route faces final vote Wednesday by NRD board

(Screenshot from MoPac)

LINCOLN — Choosing a route for a recreation trail to fill a gap between Omaha and Lincoln took another step forward recently after the Cass County Board narrowly approved a proposed path for the connector. 

The Cass County Board voted 3-2 on Nov. 5 to approve an 10-mile route between the unincorporated village of Wabash — where the Mo-Pac Trail ends — and the Lied Bridge, which spans the Platte River near South Bend, where a trail from Omaha ends.

The chosen route, which generally follows the north-south 334th Street, was identified as the preferred location by a consultant because it impacted the fewest residences — crossing only nine driveways, compared to 13 to 36 for the other four routes studied.

Public comment fielded by the trail developers, the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District Board, also favored that route.

The NRD board will vote at its 7 p.m. meeting Wednesday in Lincoln, whether to give its blessing to the 334th street route and begin the final design work.

Linking Omaha and Lincoln via a hike-bike trail has been a longtime dream of trail advocates, but past proposals to build a connector trail across northern Cass County were shot down due to landowner opposition.

A financial hurdle remains. The recommended route is projected to cost $15.5 million to build, with much of the expense to build walls to support a 10-foot-wide crushed limestone trail in roadside ditches.

The Nebraska Legislature allocated $8.3 million in 2022 to build the connector segment. Officials have said the $15.5 million estimate is preliminary and includes a 40% contingency in the event of rising construction costs and inflation. They have maintained that private donations will fund the remaining costs.

Cass County Board members made it clear that county tax dollars will not be used for the trail.

Biking enthusiasts saylinking Omaha and Lincoln via a recreation trail will bring visitors and new spending to Cass County.

But one of the county commissioners who voted against the recommended route said that he doubts that. The connector route doesn’t pass through any communities or businesses, said Cass County Commissioner Duane Murdoch. Because it is far from Omaha and Lincoln, he said he doubts that it will see much use.

Murdoch added that he’s also worried that building a recreation trail in road ditches will force rain runoff onto county roads, causing damage. “I just don’t know how that’s going to work,” Murdoch said.

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