Engineers present regional trail plan linking Mora, Pine City and Hinkley; costs range into millions

SEH Engineering presented a draft master trail plan that would link Mora, Pine City and Hinkley and ultimately connect to the Munger Trail, creating a regional east–west multi‑use route. Greg Anderson of SEH told commissioners the draft updates a 2014 plan for neighboring Kanabec County and studies three principal options to complete the route across the county line. The options include converting an abandoned rail corridor, paved shoulders on county roads and a route following Highway 23 and County Road 61. Anderson said the railroad corridor option would require fencing and that Burlington Northern Santa Fe has expressed reluctance to allow a trail on its right‑of‑way. He gave preliminary cost estimates: about $12 million for the rail‑corridor alignment and roughly $7 million for a route that follows the 23‑to‑61 corridor. Anderson emphasized design and maintenance needs, noting a typical paved multi‑use trail standard is a 10‑foot width with clear recovery zones and that local sponsorship and outside grant funding would be needed to build and maintain the trail. "The beauty of this is now you've got some momentum between two counties," Anderson said, urging regional collaboration to strengthen grant applications. The board took public comment; a nearby resident said his main concern was perpetual maintenance and that small taxpayers often shoulder those ongoing costs. Commissioners did not vote on construction or funding but asked staff to keep the plan as a tool to pursue outside funding and the county engineer said the draft would be used when seeking legacy, DNR and federal trail grants. No formal action was taken; the presentation was accepted for information and public comment was recorded for inclusion in the draft master plan.