ALBERT LEA, MINNESOTA – The City of Albert Lea recently announced that a big state grant will allow for the construction of a trail along a former rail line from their community to nearby Hartland, Minnesota.
Freeborn County has received a $1 million MnDOT grant toward building a 15-mile trail along the former UP rail corridor from Albert Lea to Hartland, estimated to cost $8 million total, city hall in Albert Lea said. That estimate includes repairing 4 bridges and building a bridge or tunnel crossing for Minnesota Highway 13. This first grant will go toward developing 6.4 miles between Fountain Street and Manchester. The county recently named this new route the “Song Bird Trail” reflecting the wildlife along it. The county and City of Albert Lea are waiting to hear results from other grant applications before deciding on a build schedule. The trail will connect to the Blazing Star State Trail via city streets.
For the Blazing Star Trail, the contractor plans to complete the extension between Myre-Big Island State Park and Hayward this year. The foundation for the bridge over Albert Lea Lake needs to settle before work can continue, city hall explained.