The Michigan Department of Transportation is providing a grant of over $1.3 million to fill two critical gaps in the Blue Star Trail between South Haven and Holland. The city of Saugatuck along with Saugatuck Township and the city of Douglas will build 1.14 miles of trail to connect three miles of existing trail between them. The project will address the only pedestrian and bike connection possible between Saugatuck and Douglas over the Kalamazoo River.
Saugatuck City Manager Ryan Heise tells the Holland Sentinel the project has been talked about for more than ten years. Saugatuck Mayor Scott Dean says their section of the Blue Star Trail will “provide a safer non-motorized route across the bridge that will better link the east and west sides of Saugatuck and better connect the Saugatuck and Douglas business districts.” Douglas Mayor Jerry Donovan says they are now waiting on the $300,000 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant they applied for. The $1.344 million grant announced by MDOT is through the Transportation Alternatives Program, which is a federal grant fund that gives dollars to each state for alternatives to motorized transportation.
