Recreational paths in central Ohio are becoming more than just weekend diversions for cyclists, runners, dog walkers and strollers. They're a way to actually get somewhere - and increasingly, somewhere on the other side of a major roadway or body of water.

Recreational paths in central Ohio are becoming more than just weekend diversions for cyclists, runners, dog walkers and strollers.

They�re a way to actually get somewhere � and increasingly, somewhere on the other side of a major roadway or body of water.

When completed this fall, the pedestrian bridge over Rt. 23 in southern Delaware County will not only provide new areas to explore but also will safely link Orange Township neighborhoods.

�That could be very convenient,� said Josh Morter, 30, who envisions his two preschool-age children one day biking to the North Orange Park pool, playground and fishing pond from their home east of Rt. 23.

The project, just south of Home Road, is one of several in central Ohio that officials say residents want, even if money is tight.

�It�s a change in how society is looking at transportation,� said Rob Riley, chief deputy engineer for the city of Delaware. �Younger folks who want to live in urban areas ... don�t want to live where a car is your only option.�

Since Orange Township�s first recreation master plan 11 years ago, residents have made the trail system a top priority, parks director Beth Hugh said. �From our surveys, our trails and connections always rank No. 1.�

The county�s southern growth along both sides of Rt. 23 creates an urban divide.

�The bike and pedestrian, as a mode of travel, is getting a lot more important,� said Nick Gill, assistant transportation director for the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. �But the problem we�ve recognized is a lack of east-west trails. Those are the connections that are a little more difficult and more expensive.�

An asphalt trail might cost up to $1 million per mile. Bridges far exceed that.

That�s too rich for the city of Delaware, which focuses its efforts on reducing traffic congestion and improving safety.

�We don�t have the luxury of spending money on bike projects,� Riley said.

Orange Township and other communities have found other sources of funding. A three-year, 1.5-mill parks levy approved by voters last year is helping to fund almost $1 million of the $2.2?m illion bridge over Rt. 23. The balance is from a MORPC transportation-enhancement grant.

�I think there is a greater expectation (of pedestrian access and safety) where there�s more population,� Hugh said, �where we have more kids, where they can ride their bikes to their friends, to the parks, to the pool.�

Marysville has begun work on a covered-style bridge spanning Rt. 33 and linking its large Mill Valley subdivision to Marysville High School, the Uptown district and fairgrounds, said Robert Priestas, assistant city engineer. Eighty percent of the $1.6 million project, scheduled to open in the fall, is financed by Ohio Department of Transportation grants.

In Columbus, work continues on a $4.9 million ramp and bridge over Rt. 315 to connect Grandview Heights and city neighborhoods to the Olentangy Trail. And work began recently on a section of the Camp Chase Trail that will cross I-270 and link Hall Road and Sullivant Avenue.

Metro Parks has built several bridges over creeks and rivers to extend its network of multiuse paths.

In Westerville, a bridge over County Line Road, between N. State Street and McCorkle Boulevard, will officially open on Aug. 1 to cyclists and pedestrians. The 106-foot bridge cost $1.9 million, $500,000 of which came from a grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources� Clean Ohio Trail Fund.

And Worthington residents will be able to cross over I-270 via multiuse lanes along the east edge of the Rt. 23 bridge. The two-way traffic will be separated from vehicle traffic by a curb when the I-270/Rt. 23 interchange project is completed.

�I think it�s an important amenity that people want,� said MORPC�s Gill. �It�s an important quality-of-life issue to be able to walk or ride around your neighborhood instead of always having to get in your vehicle.�

dnariso@dispatch.com

@DeanNarciso