Over 50 people attended the Friends ribbon cutting ceremony in early June marking the completion of the first mile of paving from Beulah to Thompsonville.

The joyful occasion recognized those who made this accomplishment possible, including the Michigan Department of Natural Resources who awarded a $400,000 Spark Grant to Benzie County government and the Betsie Valley Trailway Management Council who oversaw the project, Gourdie-Fraser, Inc. who d did the engineering, and Team Elmers who performed the work.

“You’ve been watching this evolution for a long time,” said Heidi Bolger, president of the Friends. “This is mile one, and we’re hoping it is mile one of 12.”

Aerial view of newly paved surface out of Beulah towards Thompsonville.

The next steps are already in the works…

The Friends partnered with the Benzie County Road Commission and have applied for a Michigan Department of Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant, requesting funds to pave a 6.3-mile segment of the trail from Case Road to Pioneer Road. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $2 million. If awarded this grant, the Friends will need to contribute in the range of $500,000 in matching funds. Our plan is to seek other grants and use funds from our donations to make this project possible.

The Friends are also working with the Village of Thompsonville as the applicant for a DNR Trust Fund grant to pave a little less than a one-mile section of the trail from Thompson Avenue in Thompsonville to the former train trestle bridge over the Betsie River. The total project cost is $404,000. The grant request is for $299,000 and the Friends will need to contribute approximately $105,000.
Making the trail to Thompsonville more accessible is a critical step in once-again establishing Thompsonville as a transportation hub, in the past for rail and in the future for non-motorized transportation. In addition to the new village park and campground being created by the Thompsonville Area Revitalization Project, it is expected future regional trail connections NE from Interlochen, SE from Cadillac, and SW from Manistee will all meet in Thompsonville.

Please consider a donation to the Friends to help us make this important long-term project a reality!