SAFETY CONCERNS BRING ABOUT RELOCATION OF PERRY BIKE TRAIL

PERRYVILLE -- The Mississippi River National Bike Trail won't be off the beaten path in Perry County.

State Rep. Patrick Naeger, R-Perryville, said Wednesday that the trail through the county will be relocated from highways H and C to Highway 61.

Naeger said the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Division of Tourism agreed to the change after receiving petitions from 600 people opposed to designating highways H and C as the bicycle route.

Naeger said the petitions initially were presented to his office.

The Perryville Republican said he and others were concerned about safety for both motorists and bicyclists who would be traveling on the rural highways, particularly Highway C.

"The route is heavily traveled, especially by tractor-trailer trucks and farm machinery," he said.

Highway C is used heavily by logging trucks from East Perry Lumber Co.

The roadway has no shoulders, which makes it difficult for bicyclists to get out of the way of cars and trucks, Naeger said.

In the case of traffic, bicyclists either would have to take to the ditch or move into the other lane. Neither is a good alternative, he said.

Stan Petzoldt, chairman of East Perry Lumber Co., said Highway C "is used by a lot of different traffic. It is not just East Perry Lumber Co.," he said.

"A lot of people in the community thought it was unsafe," said Petzoldt, who organized the petition drive.

The rural, winding road is narrow and has poor visibility, he said.

Naeger said the route change took effect immediately, and it could take time for the bike route signs to be changed. But he said that shouldn't be a problem because there isn't a lot of bicycle traffic in the winter.

Naeger said the change will bring the route through Perryville. The original route bypassed the Perry County seat.

He said the new route will be better for two reasons: It will be safer and more businesses could benefit from the bicycle traffic.

"I think it is going to work out well for everybody, and government is at its best when we can conform to the needs and the will and the wishes of the public," he said.