IRVINE
Bikers, hikers and in-line skaters will be treated to a continuous trail system in Irvine if city and county officials can agree to a cost-sharing plan to complete missing links in the San Diego Creek and Peters Canyon Wash trails.
In 1994, City Council members put off construction of two missing links south of Barranca Parkway because they thought the $2.6-million price tag was too steep. Five years later, with inflation and the emergence of another missing link, the price has skyrocketed, said city officials. They have yet to estimate the final costs.
“The bikeway would connect five regional county parks, five existing or proposed local parks, the Irvine Civic Center, a golf course, UC Irvine and the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve,” wrote Vicki L. Wilson, director of county public facilities, in an Aug. 18 letter to Irvine.
The county has already agreed to foot the bill for any work that exceeds the $2.6 million Irvine has put aside for the project.
The county’s participation would lower the cost for Irvine and speed up the project, said Tom Mazzola, city project management administrator.
The City Council is expected to review the proposal at its Dec. 14 meeting.
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