The Standard

Issue date: 10/23/07 Section: Features

Media Credit: Matt Almaraz

Winding throughout Nathan-ael Greene Park, Carver Middle School and a number of different areas in Springfield, South Creek Greenway has over eight miles of trails.

Since 1991, Ozark Green-ways has built the South Creek Trail in different segments to become the trail that it is today.

Ozark Greenways is the organization that maintains the pedestrian and bike trails throughout Springfield. The organization is non-profit, with goals that strive to enhance the beauty of the Ozarks.

Currently, the South Creek Trail comes to a stop on Battlefield Road and is continued by crossing at the intersection of West Bypass and Battlefield. The trail then continues onwards to Wilson's Creek National Battlefield.

When asked when the connection between South Creek and Wilson's Creek trails is proposed to be finished, Lori Tack, program coordinator of the Ozark Greenways, said they don't really put a proposed finish date on the greenway trails because the way they create them is like putting a puzzle.

"So it's hard to put a finite due date on them," she said.

In order to cross the road to go onto Wilson's Creek, one must use the bike lane on Battlefield and cross at the light making a left onto the West Bypass.

A project currently in the process of construction is the last section of the more than 35 miles of trails called the Frisco Highline Trail connecting Bolivar and Springfield.

"We are working on all sorts of trails," Tack said. "We are working on hopefully 130 miles of identified greenway corridors."

South Creek Trail was made possible by donations and charity events and was put together like a huge puzzle. Money collected is saved and used to work on the trails whenever possible.

It takes a couple of million dollars to build South Creek, and the trails are physically built by contractors hired by the Greenways organization.

The statistics on the number of people that use the South Creek Trail and the other trails are according to Tack, were "1,000 to 2,000 people per week."

"We normally just generalize that thousands of people use the trails per week," Tack said.

Greenways are a way to get out and become closer to nature when one gets too tired of all the hustle and bustle of city living. They provide benefits to the citizens.

"Greenways are providing convenience, safe, free, access to nature close to home," Tack said. "When areas develop, they always lose green space, and Ozark Greenways is trying to protect that."

"We feel that we have to protect the green space, not just for us to enjoy, but always for water quality," Tack said. "Homes near the greenways go up in value, and there are all sorts of benefits associated with them."

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