Aboite New Trails and the Allen County Commissioners will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the Towpath Trail Phase IV on August 31 at 12 noon on the trail alignment at Coventry Meadows, 7843 West Jefferson Boulevard.  Speakers will include State Senator David Long and County Commissioner Linda Bloom.

This 1.5-mile trail section will link the existing Rivergreenway and four-mile Towpath Trail north of Engle Road to the Lutheran Loop Trail and the rest of the Aboite Trails.  To enhance safety and the overall trail experience, Phase IV will include amenities such as a traffic signal at Engle Road and Statesman Way, a two-acre Trailhead featuring parking, a picnic area, and public art, and an at-grade crossing at Jefferson Boulevard to connect to the Lutheran Loop and the Aboite Trails.

Brooks Construction is scheduled to begin construction on the Towpath Trail, Phase IV on September 2, with a projected completion date of July, 2011.

The groundbreaking kicks off the completion of Aboite New Trail's "Make the Connection" initiative, which aimed to create 50 connected trail miles across Allen County by building trails along Covington and Homestead Roads, currently under construction, as well as the Towpath Trail.  When complete, this corridor will serve as the backbone of a developing regional trail system.  Aboite New Trails and other area trail groups are looking ahead to jointly expand this effort and create an active transportation network that weaves throughout all the population centers in Fort Wayne and Allen County.