Mill Creek MetroParks is working on plans to add another segment of a 7-mile-long bike and hike trail that when completed would run from Route 224 in Boardman to Old Furnace Road in Youngstown.

Park officials are seeking public comment on a $170,000 project to create an eight-foot-wide asphalt trail beginning from a point just north of Canfield Road near Lanterman’s Mill, running 1,700 feet north along East Park Drive.

The state would cover 80% of the project’s cost, with the balance coming from the park.

With construction slated to begin next spring, the proposed East Park Hike & Bike Trail Phase II is a continuation of an enhancement project constructed by the MetroParks in 2019 to provide increased safety and connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists as they travel through the East Park Corridor.

Phase I of the East Park Hike & Bike Trail, consisting of about 750 feet of 8-foot-wide paved asphalt trail, was completed as part of the East Park Drive/U.S. Route 62 roadway resurfacing improvement project.

Mill Creek MetroParks is seeking input from the public regarding the proposed project and its social, environmental, and economic impacts.

Those interested in becoming a consulting party or have general questions or comments concerning the environmental process, contact Sean Carpenter, Environmental Specialist at (330) 786-2274 or by electronic mail at [email protected].