Henderson ready to break ground on $9.6 million walking trail

By Conor Shine

Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011 | 7:58 p.m.

Henderson’s system of trails is getting another link that will run from the outskirts of town into the heart of the city.

The Union Pacific Railroad Trail South will follow the train tracks of its namesake over a 12-mile stretch. The trail will start near Nevada State College on Paradise Hills Drive and snake its way through the city, running parallel to Boulder Highway before veering west and ending near Acacia Park and the Acacia Demonstration Gardens, 50 Casa Del Fuego St.

The railroad tracks will be bounded by paved trails on each side designed for walking or biking, with benches, landscaping and shade structures scattered along the route for rest stops.

“This represents a real significant portion of our trail system,” Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Kim Becker said. “The ability for people to be able to bike [to the park] to play sports, take classes or just see the gardens is a real asset.”

Becker said the city’s overall goal is to create a trail system that would allow residents to bike anywhere in Henderson. There are 60 miles of trails in Henderson, she said, but that number will increase dramatically with the completion of the Union Pacific trail and other planned projects.

The Union Pacific trail will cost about $9.6 million to build and is being funded with money from the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act.

Construction is slated to start by the end of the month and should wrap up sometime next summer.

A six-mile northern extension of the Union Pacific Railroad Trail that would connect to the Clark County trail system is being planned, but there is no timeline for its completion, Becker said.