Plans to move forward with construction of the next phase of the Truckee River Legacy Trail were unanimously approved by Town Council on Tuesday.

Upon completion, Phase 4 of the project will create a continuous Class 1 trail between the Glenshire subdivision and Donner Lake.

The project, slated for a summer start, entails a trailhead parking lot, a pedestrian bridge at Truckee Donner Land Trust’s recently acquired Truckee Springs property, an extension of South River Street that would include a vehicle bridge, paved trails, a utility district water line, and work to restore the wetlands in the area.

---

---

Town Council also authorized an agreement to share costs of design and construction for infrastructure at the Truckee Springs property. Truckee Donner Land Trust will pay an estimated $2.7 million for work done at the property.

In total, the project is estimated to cost $8.8 million, of which Truckee will pay $5.7 million, using the town’s Measure R fund. Additionally, the town anticipated being able to fund part of the project through grants, but has been unsuccessful in attaining any thus far, in part due to many recent grants using scoring related to incomes and existence of disadvantaged communities, according to a staff report.

---

---

“We thought maybe there would be grant funding and there’s not. It just shows the importance of Measure R,” said Vice Mayor Lindsay Romack.

Measure R, which generates $1.3 to $1.7 million annually, will be in front of voters for renewal on the June primary election ballot, with an increased tax rate from 0.25% to 0.5%.

Work on the trail is slated to run through 2024, and potentially could entail wider shoulders to accommodate cyclists, pet waste stations, bike repair stations, interpretive signs, way finding signs, mile post markers, water fountains, and benches that will be sourced from a project by local students at Tahoe Truckee Unified School District.

The council’s decision on Tuesday will allow the town to advertise the project for construction bids.

“This is an incredibly exciting moment and I’m so happy that we’re getting this done,” said Council member David Polivy. “We’ve been talking about it for a long time.”

Justin Scacco is a staff writer with the Sierra Sun. He can be reached at jscacco@sierrasun.com