Key connector trail to one of Lexington’s largest neighborhoods now open
Another key section of Lexington’s trail system is now open.
The 2,100 foot connector to the Citation trail travels through the Mable Lane Greenway and connects to Lucille Drive in the middle of the Masterson Station neighborhood, one of the state’s largest residential developments.
Across Lucille Drive, the trail also connects to the Masterson Hills Park trail.
The Citation Trail largely follows Citation Boulevard.
Future plans include extending the trail and connecting to a planned trail inside the Villages at Great Acres, an Anderson Development currently under construction on Leestown Road, and eventually linking to Masterson Station Park.
It’s the latest key trail connector to open in less than a week. On Sept. 27, the city opened the Brighton Rail Trail bridge that spans Man O’ War Boulevard, connecting four miles of trail in the Hamburg area. That $2.6 million bridge took more than a decade to get built.
“Lexington has been developing its trail system for decades. Now we are opening important new connections between trails,” said Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton at a ribbon-cutting on Thursday. “Earlier this week we opened the Brighton Rail Trail Bridge, which connected two trails. Today we are officially opening a new section of Citation Trail, which also connects other trails. And there’s more to come! We currently have about $53 million in trail projects in some phase of development.”
The connector to the Citation Trail will help the rapidly-growing west end become less car-dependent and pedestrian and bike-friendly, said Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilman Josh McCurn, who represents the Masterson Station area.
“This trail connection may be small, but it is pivotal in bringing one of our largest neighborhoods to one of our main thoroughfares,” McCurn said. “While this is the official opening of the trail, hundreds of residents have already used it for running, biking, walking, skating and more!”
Councilman Chuck Ellinger Jr., an avid cyclist and frequent champion of the city’s trail systems, said the city’s trails have to be connected to the areas people live to generate maximum use.
“The key to increasing our multi-modal transportation infrastructure is connectivity,” Ellinger said. “This is another piece that will help complete that process”
This story was originally published October 4, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
