Northland Drive Tunnel Under Construction

Northland Drive tunnel installation (photo from Plainfield Charter Township)

a news release of Plainfield Charter Township

Construction/installation of a pedestrian tunnel under Northland Drive in Plainfield Township, Kent County, Michigan is underway.

The Kent County project will eventually lead to a six-day closure of Northland Drive near Rogue River Road/7 Mile Road. However, traffic flows will remain as they are for the next few weeks. A firm date for that closure is not yet set.

When the full closure happens, project managers for the county say crews will work around the clock to make the traffic disruption as short as possible. The posted detour route will be Cannonsburg Road to Myers Lake Avenue to Belding Road. A temporary traffic signal will be in place at the Cannonsburg Road and Myers Lake Avenue intersection.

Once complete, the Northland Drive pedestrian tunnel will connect the South Rogue River Trail to a section of the Grand River Greenway along Cannonsburg Road, which will be completed next spring. This connection will bridge a 23-mile stretch between Millennium Park and Lowell and bring West Michigan communities even closer to the Grand River through a unified system of parks and trails

See Plainfield Township info


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Sparta Land Swap Will Create Trailhead

Sparta land being swapped (photo from Sparta Informed)

from Sparta Informed

The Village of Sparta, Michigan, has secured public access to more than 100 acres of parkland along the Rogue River through a property swap with a local business owner that will cost taxpayers nothing.

The Rogue River Park has long sought a way to create a trailhead with better services including a rest room and public river access. When the private owner of the property expressed an interest in buying the former ambulance building on Garner Street, the village suggested a swap.

The 101-acre property has sat vacant for 30 years and includes a large wetland area that supports the Rogue River. Property owner Chad Momber is paying an additional balance to the village for the larger building. The property already has a small building and parking area which can be easily repurposed for the trailhead.

Village Manager Jim Lower said the access may be open to the public as early as this fall.

See Fox 17 article


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Plainfield Charter Township's Strategy for Trail Funding

Plainfield Township trails (graphic from Plainfield Charter Township)

from Plainfield Charter Township

Non-motorized trails in Plainfield Charter Township, Kent County, Michigan have been funded since 2016 by a tax millage. This includes the Jericho Trail, Rockford Trail, South Rogue River Trail, Jupiter Trail, Township Hall Connector, and the Rogue River Meadows Connector to the White Pine Trail. These trails give residents safe, convenient ways to walk, bike, and explore close to home. In the past ten years this millage has resulted in $6.4 million spent on trails.

This August, Plainfield Charter Township voters will be asked to decide whether to renew the Non-Motorized Public Trails and Recreation Areas Millage—the same millage that helped create these nearly nine miles of paved trails connecting the community.

The proposal keeps the millage at its current rate. There is no increase in the amount taxpayers would pay. The renewal would help protect and maintain the trails the community has already built together.

See more at Plainfield Charter Township


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Rogue River Road Non-motorized Bridge Installed

Rogue River Road pedestrian bridge being installed (photo from Plainfield Township)

from M-Live

On Thursday, May 14, the final 175-foot section of the South Rogue River Trail in Kent County, Michigan, was lowered into place by cranes. This 10-foot-wide prefabricated steel bridge will parallel the Rogue River Road bridge.

The $800,000 bridge is the largest portion of the $2.2 million project aimed at connecting trails from Lake Michigan to mid-Michigan. This full segment is about two miles in length from the White Pine Trail to the Rogue River.

The South Rogue River Trail is part of the larger, multi-county project to expand the Grand River Greenway. This section is expected to open in a few weeks

See South Rogue River Trail Construction


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Northland Drive Pedestrian Tunnel Groundbreaking

concept of approach and Northland Dirve tunnel at upper right (graphic from Kent County Parks)

from Michigan Trails Magazine

A ceremony Saturday morning marked the start of construction on a new pedestrian tunnel under Northland Drive (Kent County, Michigan)— creating a safer, stronger connection to the emerging South Rogue River Trail and the growing Grand River Greenway.

“This groundbreaking represents more than the start of construction—it’s about connection,” said Kent County Parks Department Director Ben Swayze. “We are connecting communities, parks and people while removing a significant safety barrier along one of the busiest roads in northern Kent County. This project brings us one step closer to a seamless regional trail network that improves quality of life and expands access to the outdoors for residents of all ages and abilities.”.

Once complete, this effort will help link a 23-mile stretch from Millennium Park to Lowell, bringing us closer to the Grand River and to each other.

Thanks to our Kent County leadership and many community partners for bringing this vision—funded entirely through $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars awarded through a Michigan Department of Natural Resources grant to Downtown Grand Rapids Inc.—to life!

Construction will take place in phases, with completion anticipated in late fall 2026

See South Rogue River Trail


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South Rogue River Trail Construction

South Rogue River Trail construction (photo by Prein & Newhof Construction)

from Prein & Newhof Construction

Construction is moving ahead on Plainfield Charter Township’s (Kent County, Michigan) South Rogue River Trail. When complete, this new trail will provide a safe, scenic route connecting the White Pine Trail to the Northland Drive area, closing the Township’s first non-motorized loop alongside the Rockford Trail.

This milestone creates a continuous route that expands how residents can move through and experience the area. It also plays an important role in the larger Grand River Greenway pathway network across West Michigan, creating more opportunities to be active outside while enjoying the natural beauty of the Rogue River corridor.

Crews have been making steady progress this spring, including completing backfill at the bridge abutments, installing drainage systems, and advancing work on both the boardwalk and retaining walls. Next steps will shift toward preparing the trail base and setting the bridge on the abutments as the trail aims to open to the public later this spring! Congratulations to Plainfield Charter Township on the continued progress of this investment in outdoor recreation and connectivity. We’re grateful to be part of a project that will serve residents and visitors for years to come, and we appreciate the hard work of Dan's Excavating Service, Inc. and the entire project team helping bring it to life on site.

The South Rogue River Trail is the final pathway funded by the voter-approved Non-Motorized Pathways and Recreational Areas Millage, which expired earlier this year. Kent County will reimburse the Township for the pedestrian bridge once the project is complete.

See Plainfield Township


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South Rogue River Trail

construction of the SRRT (photo from Plainfield Charter Township)

from MLive

Plainfield Township in Kent County, Michigan is working on a $2.2 million project. This is part of the connected trails which will go from Lake Michigan to the middle of the state named the Grand Ruver Greenway. This portion will be called the South Rogue River Trail (SRRT). “When everything is complete, you’ll have basically a continuous, 171-mile separated pedestrian trail starting in Grand Haven and going all the way to Owosso,” Ben Swayze said. Swayze is the Kent County Parks Director.

This two-mile segment runs along Rogue River Road from the White Pine Trail to the Rogue River/Kuttshill Drive intersection. A pedestrian bridge will cross the Rogue River. The bridge alone cost $880,000

Work began in mid 2025 and completion is expeced in May 2026.

Funds came from the township’s non-motorized trails and recreational areas millage fund, and Kent County will cover the cost of the bridge.

Described by the township in an October newsletter, the SRRT is “offering a safe and scenic route for walkers, runners and cyclists.”

See article at MLive


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