The original item was published from March 31, 2025 1:07 PM to March 31, 2025 1:07 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, March 31
Two portions of the newly paved Heart of Iowa Nature trail (HOINT) will close this spring for trail improvement. The section of the HOINT between 640th Avenue and Army Post Road, west of Maxwell, will close on Monday, March 31.
Additionally, the section of trail from Highway 210 in Maxwell eastward to 663rd Avenue will be closed. Contractors will be conducting the final minor concrete work to complete their paving efforts. Story County Conservation (SCC) once again asks trail users to be patient and construction-aware as the next two construction projects begin. This closure is expected to only last roughly one week.
Additional temporary closures anticipated this spring:
- Contractors will install the highly-anticipated decorative fence on both sides of the bridge over Rock Creek, east of Maxwell; timing is TBD.
- The section of trail from Cambridge eastward to 610th Avenue will close for approximately two weeks; timing is TBD. Magellan Pipeline will be conducting repairs to the pipeline under the trail. This pipeline repair will occur approximately 250 yards west of 610th Avenue and will require removal of the pavement and open trenching, making the trail impassible.
We are planning an event in late summer to celebrate paving completion. Stay tuned for details!
For information on closures, please visit www.storycountyiowa.gov/theheart or contact the Story County Conservation Center at 515.232.2516.
Since 2019, more than 21 miles of the HOINT have been paved in Story County! A continuous paved trail now connects all five communities in southern Story County from the High Trestle Trail in Slater, eastward all the way to Collins. Funding for this latest HOINT paving project came from a Destination Iowa grant and the Story County American Rescue Plan Act.
The four-mile section of the HOINT in Story County between Collins and the Story-Marshall County line remains unpaved. SCC is exploring all available options to design and fund the last connection into Marshall County. The recent passage of the Story County Water and Land Legacy bond will assist in funding this final stretch.
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