This is a closed trail. (Photo by Dennis McGlasson).
Went for a brevet training ride yesterday along the Riverfront Trail from my house to Alton, IL, and back. Though the computer on my fixed-gear is out, I know from previous experience it is approximately 100 km. All in all it went well, it was very hard near the turn-around point because of the wind. And again at the very end, riding toward my house, I thought I pulled my quad muscle. But I got the kilometers in and I pray the decent weather holds. Wind I don't mind, but I can't ride in ice or temps below 20 F.
The Riverfront Trail north of the Chain of Rocks Bridge has a comical, "closed" section. Not the part featured in the above photo which is on the Missouri side and now repaired. The section I'm referring to is north of Choteau Island. To my knowledge, it's "closed" more often than it's open. And for as long as this important north-south connector has been open it's been a rough, gravel trail. I have long since given up hopes they will ever pave it (like the other 80+ miles of the MCT network). I just wish they would stop randomly putting closed signs up. The dredging/fill operation going on on the side of trail has been underway for eight years; I doubt trail traffic is slowing progress that much. I just ignore the signs. But the Madison County Trail network is great recreational asset, it is too bad Illinois lacks the will or funds to really maintain it.
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