Moonville Rail Trail bridge project advances toward October 2026 completion

Residents waiting for a better Moonville Rail Trail crossing now have a target: the two pedestrian bridges over Raccoon Creek are scheduled for completion in October 2026. The work is centered in Brown Township, about 3.75 miles northeast of Zaleski, where the new spans will sit on existing railroad abutments and form a key link in the county’s growing trail network.

Ohio Department of Transportation says the project is part of the 16-mile Moonville Trail multi-use path running from Mill Street in Zaleski to State Route 356 in Mineral Wells, crossing through Vinton and Athens counties. The proposed work extends about 2,400 linear feet southeastward from Hope-Moonville Road along the abandoned railroad ballast and across Raccoon Creek. ODOT says floodplain impacts are not anticipated because no permanent material will be added to the floodplain, a detail that reflects the engineering needed to move the trail forward without altering the creek corridor more than necessary.

For the Moonville Rail Trail Association, the bridge work fits a larger effort that began when the local 501(c)(3) was established in April 2001. The group says its mission is to maintain, promote and expand a muscle-powered trail system, preserve historic railroad infrastructure and promote economic development. Trail materials say the association has secured about 10 miles of unused railroad bed, installed 11 bridges and received about 9 grants. Its next goals are clear: install the two final bridges, connect the trail to the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway and eventually extend the route south toward Lake Alma State Park.

The trail’s draw is not only local recreation but also the economy built around it. Zaleski State Forest, Ohio’s second-largest forest at 27,882 acres, anchors much of the landscape that visitors come to see, and the Moonville Tunnel remains one of the best-known destinations in the corridor. The tunnel’s link to the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad, later the Baltimore & Ohio, gives the trail a historical identity that has helped make it a tourism magnet for hikers, cyclists and other nonmotorized users.

State investment has already changed the trail’s reach. An earlier Moonville Rail Trail at Ingham’s Station project received $1.1 million in funding, opened 12.2 previously inaccessible miles, installed 7 new bridges and closed 8 abandoned mine entries near the trail. With the Raccoon Creek bridges now advancing, the Moonville corridor is moving closer to a continuous route that is safer, longer and more likely to draw steady visitors into Vinton County’s outdoor economy.