The sign at the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad Trail declares it to be nine-tenths of a mile. County officials later clarified it to be slightly longer — 5,257 feet, just 23 feet short of a mile — but let’s just round up and call it a mile.
Then add up what Clark County has spent so far on the railroad trail project, and call it a million-dollar mile.
The $1 million includes a $228,304 federal grant which paid for a study that launched the entire 33-mile project. The first paved mile, from design to final inspection, cost $801,829, for a total of $1,030,133.
The county acknowledges the first segment was more expensive than anticipated, but the price tag hasn’t provoked uniform reactions.
This story was first posted Jan. 29 at 7:19 p.m. Click here to see the full story and comments.