The Joplin Trails Coalition will begin the Ruby Jack-Frisco Greenway Trail Connection Project this spring. The project aims to connect the four miles between the popular trails.
It will create a continuous loop connecting Carthage, Carl Junction, Webb City and Oronogo. The multi-year, six-phase project will allow people to stay on the path without getting on a major highway.
Ruby Jack is a large 16-mile trail, and the Frisco Greenway is about 3.5 miles long. Both trails are popular for running and walking.
The coalition's president, Bob Herbst, said the project would expand people's running, walking and biking options.
"Frisco is a short trail, three and a half miles. So, the people of Joplin are limited on how far they can go, which would give them an additional four miles of trail," he said.
The construction site's ownership splits between the Coalition and Webb City, with the coalition owning Ruby Jack and Webb City, the Frisco Greenway. The coalition is a non-profit and is self-reliant on donations and funds for the project. They have been fortunate to save the money to start building the trail.
Herbst said he is pretty excited about building the trail.
"We talked about it for years and we have just never had money to do anything about it. We want to show the public we are serious about building this connection," Herbst said.
Webb City owns about 90% of the proposed construction area between the two trails. It is a piece of land called the Cardinal Valley Habitat, which the city has purchased over several years.
Herbst said coalition supporters have wanted the connected trails for a while. It was not until Webb City approached Herbst and the rest of the committee that the project would officially get underway.
One of the big supporters of the Joplin Trail Coalition's project is the Joplin Roadrunner's Club. The coalition and the running club are in close contact.
"We would be the first one to benefit from those from that connection because we'll immediately organize a race," said the Joplin Roadrunner's CEO, Henri Coeme.
The Joplin Roadrunner's Club has up to 150 members and has been around since the 1980s. It originally started as a way for like-minded people to run together and evolved into an entire community. The club regularly runs on the Ruby Jack and cleans up garbage along the trail once a year.
"Ask a runner whether they have any fond memories with the trail, and they will talk on end," said Coeme.
According to Coeme, the running club's mission is to provide companionship and safety. He said it's also about accountability and showing up even when the weather is bad.
A runner himself, Coeme did one of his first races on one of the trails. He has fond memories of running with his wife and dog.
Coeme wishes the coalition success in its project.
"We will continue to contribute to their success. They [the coalition] can always call on us to complete any of their aspirations or dreams as far as the trail is concerned," Coeme said.
The first phase of the trail will begin in the spring, with work focusing on a 0.85-mile stretch of the connector to be built on the west side of County Road 230.
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