LAST STRETCH — The Weirton Board of Parks and Recreation continues to work on finalizing the funding to complete the last 1.25 miles of paving on the Panhandle Recreational Trail. Much of the trail has been paved over the last year, using funds contributed from non-profit charitable groups, the West Virginia Division of Highways, and other contributions. -- Craig Howell

WEIRTON — Weirton parks officials continue to work toward long-standing plans to complete the paving of the Panhandle Recreational Trail, but note additional funds will be needed.

The topic was among those discussed during Thursday’s meeting of the Weirton Board of Parks and Recreation, with members approached by a resident questioning the status of the effort.

“I don’t know if you realize what that trail does for the community,” resident John Sinnett said in addressing the board. “We’ve got the best trail out of all of them.”

Sinnett said he often walks on the trail, which starts near the interchange of U.S. 22 and Harmon Creek Road, traveling east along Harmon Creek into Pennsylvania. He said he, and others, appreciate the efforts of the board in getting much of the trail paved, as opposed to the previous layers of crushed limestone or aggregate, and pointed to the work of volunteers to maintain the trail as well as provide transportation to area hotels for visitors using the trail.

He said, though, there are those who know the paving is not complete on the West Virginia portion of the trail and won’t travel its full length.

“I meet most of them at the state line. They turn around because they don’t want to come the rest of the way,” Sinnett said.

Parks Director Coty Shingle, though, said it is a matter of funding being available before the board can get the final 1.25-mile stretch paved.

Paving of the trail has been worked on in phases, beginning in October 2022, using funds provided through contributions by the Mary Jane Brooks Foundation, the JC Williams Foundation, the Brooke County Commission, Hancock County Commission, City of Weirton and a West Virginia Division of Highways’ Transportation Alternatives Program grant.

“We don’t have the money,” Shingle said, noting current estimates price paving the stretch at $123,000.

He reported there previously had been discussions of the possibility of Weirton Council contributing funding from its Coal Severance Budget to put toward the paving completion, but that has not happened.

Time availability also is an issue, he said, as paving crews can only work during certain times of the year.

Officials previously had hoped to be able to complete the project this year.

The Park Board began discussions of paving the trail in 2018, working to raise the necessary funds over the following years. The project began at the Pennsylvania state line, with officials noting the portion of the trail in the Keystone State already was paved through to its connection with the Montour Trail.