When an AARP grant became available, Bob Herbst, president of the Joplin Trails Coalition, said he knew exactly what he wanted his organization to do with the funds.

He knew there’s a spot on the Frisco Greenway Trail that doesn’t look steep, “but if you’re not mobile it was impossible to get up.” Even bicyclists would fishtail.

The problem was quarter-size gravel on the trail incline south of Fountain Road in Webb City. Covering it with pea gravel was tried several times, but rain kept washing it away.

An expert advised the coalition that the best, permanent way to fix it was to pour a concrete slab from the road to the top of the incline.

On Wednesday, the coalition celebrated completion of the project with a ribbon cutting held by the Webb City Chamber of Commerce.

Among those present were residents of the adjacent Redwood Garden retirement community, who said the concrete ramp has made it much easier getting onto the trail. 

There’s a walkway from their complex to the trail, which the residents said they now wish could be paved.

Herbst said the coalition is working on other projects this year, but getting this concrete ramp project done “was huge.”

On Wednesday, Sept. 14, in fact, Herbst said the coalition is having the surface smoothed with fine gravel on a 1.3 mile section of the Ruby Jack Trail near Oronogo.

Herbst made a pitch during the ribbon cutting for donations to the Joplin Trails Coalition, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.