New biking, walking trail coming to Redmond

People living in Redmond will have a new opportunity for outdoor recreation. A new biking and walking trail was approved Tuesday night by the Redmond City Council.

“We go down to the Dry Canyon almost every day,so another option will be really nice and handy,” Redmond resident Jan Clark said Wednesday.

The city council approved a reconstruction and addition to the Homestead Canal Trail that runs next to Highway 97, after receiving a nearly $500,000 grant from the state.

According to Public Works Director Bill Duerden, the trail has been a vision for the city for a number of years.

The grant money will be combined with $350,000 from Redmond urban renewal funds and an additional $60,000 from city transportation funds, as well as $320,000 in system development charges set aside for parks.

The new 5.3-mile trail will be right off Odem Medo Road and Highway 97 in Redmond, next to the canal, and will follow the canal west ending on Maple Street, by Home Depot.

“We hope to put it out for bid for construction this summer and be complete by spring of next year — sooner if weather cooperates,” Duerden said.