Vinton County Secures Millions in Grants for Moonville Rail Trail Bridges

A $2 million Transportation Alternatives Program grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation, combined with more than $1.5 million in Ohio Department of Natural Resources and ODOT funding and a $25,000 contribution from AEP Ohio, has put the Moonville Rail Trail project on track to install the two final bridges just east of Moonville Tunnel. AthensMessenger reporting says the $2 million TAP award will fund installation of the final two bridges over Raccoon Creek in State Fiscal Year 2026; those spans are described as the longest and highest on the trail, spanning three abutments.

ODNR support via its Abandoned Mines program is tied to earlier and continuing bridge work along the corridor. VintonJacksonCourier reports that ODNR AML Pilot funding helped MRTA install seven bridges crossing Hewitt Fork in 2020, and that ODNR funding “will help to install seven bridges on the rail trail and build new trail connections to improve access to horseback riders, hikers and bicyclists.” The Reclaiming Appalachia Coalition is cited as saying the funding will pay for remediation of eight nearby “open mine portals,” linking recreational improvements to public-safety work.

The two Raccoon Creek spans slated for SFY 2026 sit directly east of the brick-lined Moonville Tunnel and will reuse and upgrade existing trestle abutments, according to technical descriptions in reporting. AthensMessenger notes that “the existing trestle abutments will be upgraded to support the new bridges,” while VintonJacksonCourier records Brian Blair, identified there as Moonville Rail Trail President, saying “design work on the bridges is currently in progress, and installation will utilize existing concrete abutments as much as possible.”

Work to date has incrementally closed gaps on the corridor. The Neil Shaw Memorial Bridge over Raccoon Creek was installed in 2016, MRTA-installed Hewitt Fork bridges were added in 2020, and TrailLink user reports reference new creek bridges in 2021. VisitVintonCounty lists MRTA accomplishments as securing approximately 10 miles of unused railroad bed for Vinton and Athens County Commissioners and installing 11 bridges, and it tracks roughly nine grants received by the association.

AEP Ohio’s $25,000 grant is earmarked for the two final bridges and resurfacing the former railroad right-of-way. In AEP Ohio’s release, Mary Jane Kelley, identified there as president of the Moonville Rail Trail Association, said, “It’s huge. AEP Ohio was the first on board to lend support so now we’re able to go to other agencies and show that we have community involvement. AEP got us going and now the goal is in sight.” Kelley added, “It’s been a pleasure working with AEP Ohio, they have been so gracious and generous. We’re really grateful and are looking forward to a lasting partnership.”

Trail users and community groups emphasize the value of completing the corridor. TrailLink reviews from 2009 and later describe the right-of-way as owned in part by Vinton County and Athens County Commissioners and note that “the trail is passable but there are overgrown stretches and many water crossings with no bridges,” forcing hikers to detour onto local roads where bridges are missing. Local advocates say finishing the two spans will close a gap “right smack in the middle of the route” east of Moonville Tunnel and improve access between Lake Hope area trailheads and the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway.

Community organizers continue volunteer recruitment and fundraising through MRTA channels. VisitVintonCounty states MRTA meets at 6:30 p.m. every third Tuesday at Hope Schoolhouse on Wheelabout Road and sells Moonville-themed merchandise at the Vinton County Visitor Center and Hope Schoolhouse Welcome Center, with donations accepted via PayPal. Reporting sources differ on MRTA leadership—VintonJacksonCourier names Brian Blair as Moonville Rail Trail President while AEP Ohio materials identify Mary Jane Kelley as MRTA president—an inconsistency noted in project coverage as work advances toward the SFY 2026 construction window.