Towpath Trail funding sets stage for expansion further into Cleveland

CLEVELAND - The Towpath Trail in Cleveland is about to reach further into Cleveland, thanks to a $500,000 state grant.

A news release from the Cuyahoga County executive's office said it was the last piece of funding needed to move the plan forward.

A new 0.6 mile section of the Towpath Trail will be built on the Scranton Peninsula, which is along Scranton Road from Carter Road south, to University Road.

Improvements will include a new 10-foot wide pathway, landscaping, restoration of fish habitat in the Cuyahoga River, signage and amenities.

The Towpath Trail got its name because it largely follows the towpath used by horses to pull barges along the old Ohio and Erie Canal. The modern trail is largely complete from Zoar, which is south of Canton, to the Cleveland city limits.

The only section now complete in the city of Cleveland is near the Steelyard Commons shopping center.

"This grant, and the construction work to come, represents another step forward in fully connecting this important regional resource to downtown Cleveland," Cuyahoga County Executive Ed  FitzGerald said in a news release. "This will mean a more attractive riverfront and a cleaner environment."

The project will be bid early next year, and is primarily funded by a previously-announced $3 million federal grant.