A crowd of explorers, hikers, bikers and planners met at the entrance to the Williamsburg to Batavia hike-bike trail for a ribbon cutting Friday, June 19. The ceremony marked the end of Phase I of the project which began more than eight years ago.
The trail begins at the end of Broadway Street, in Williamsburg and connects to Williamsburg-Bantam Road. It follows Williamsburg-Bantam Road then crosses over Cain Run Creek and ends at an overlook area along Harsha Lake. It is about 2.5 miles long and is intended for hikers, joggers, walkers and bicyclists.
“This project started in the planning process eight or nine years ago,” said Williamsburg Mayor Mary Ann Lefker. “This could not have been accomplished without the collaboration of so many people. It involved a committee made up of people from the Village of Williamsburg, Batavia Township, Williamsburg Township, the Village of Batavia, the Clermont County Engineer’s Office and the park district, the Ohio Division of Wildlife, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and OKI. Chris Clingman with the Clermont County Park District has been willing to take a lead role in the development of this trail. Phase II of the trail is scheduled to begin construction in 2010 and we hope to be open in 2011. That will literally get this trail from the Village of Williamsburg into the East Fork State Park.”