There's long-awaited good news for bikers, runners, walkers and anybody else who uses the bike trail along the west side.

The City of Sioux Falls is taking bids for an extension of the trail on the north side of Skunk Creek from the Big Sioux River to Marion Road. It's not a particularly long stretch of trail -- a little more than a mile -- but it's huge for people trying to get to and from the west side of the city to and from the core neighborhoods.

That's because it means the city will finally open the gates on the flood-control dam at the confluence of the Skunk and the Big Sioux. It cuts off a couple miles in either direction if you are going anywhere around the Veterans Administration Hospital or Sanford's main campus or Augustana University or University of Sioux Falls. You get the picture.

If you're not familiar with this location, the dam connects the area between the country clubs on the east side of the river with the main golf course area for the Country Club of Sioux Falls. That's the one you see from Interstate 29. It's basically all country club golf courses from Kiwanis to I-29.

That's why they'll never be a road through there. The good news is that if you're a bike commuter, you have that east to west corridor that people in cars will never have.

And yes, the sign in the photo says 2017. It's an old photo. Now you know why it's long-awaited.


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