Construction of the final phase of the long-awaited Buffalo Ridge Trail in Garfield Township has been delayed until next year after bids submitted by contractors proved too high. Township officials expected bids of roughly $300,000 to complete the trail, but submissions from the only two bidders – Team Elmer’s and Molon Excavating – were both more than $400,000. The Department of Natural Resources has given approval to re-bid the project with construction slated in the spring in hopes of getting more bidders and finding ways to trim costs.

“We are disappointed that we won’t get it in this fall yet after fighting the easement fight over a period of years, but it’s the responsible thing to do and we think we can get it to come in a lot closer to the engineer’s estimate,” says Garfield Township Deputy Planner Brian VanDenBrand.

To help fund the project, the township landed a $270,000 grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund to build phase II of the trail. Phase I runs from the Grand Traverse Commons south to West Middle School. Phase II is designed to connect the school south to the YMCA, as well as Kids Creek Park and all neighborhoods in that area. Future phases are planned that will continue down Silver Lake Road, perhaps eventually reaching the Silver Lake Recreation Area.