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LEWISTOWN -- Mifflin County planning officials are moving forward with plans to extend a walking trail connecting Victory Park and the Stone Arch Bridge, with hopes of entering into a memorandum of understanding with Lewistown Borough early next year.
Planning Director James Lettiere said the county hopes to finalize the agreement in early 2027, allowing the project to move into the grant application phase.
The proposed first phase of the trail would begin at the Stone Arch Bridge parking lot before following existing sidewalks within PennDOT and Lewistown Borough rights-of-way. The route would then cross two borough-owned parcels before continuing along additional borough rights-of-way to a third borough-owned property at the Lewistown wastewater treatment plant.
Lettiere said plans include a trailhead and public parking area at the wastewater treatment plant.
The proposed memorandum of understanding would authorize the borough to grant public easements for the trail while outlining responsibilities for the trail, parking area and ongoing maintenance.
To ensure the proposed alignment remains entirely on borough-owned property, the Lewistown Borough Council authorized the county to complete a perimeter metes-and-bounds survey. Lettiere said the survey is being conducted by Wright Surveying, with the cost covered through the county's Act 13 Open Space and Recreation Fund.
The survey is nearing completion. Once the results are reviewed, Lettiere said he plans to return to the borough council to discuss the project and seek authorization to enter into the memorandum of understanding.
If the agreement is approved, the county plans to apply for funding through the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Community Conservation Partnerships Program in January 2027 and the department's Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program in the spring.
"The overarching goal is to provide more recreational opportunities for residents and visitors," Lettiere said. "Additionally, it also promotes active healthy lifestyles by encouraging more exercise."