FARMINGTON — After much postponement and changing of plans, the 400 West area trail near State Street and Lagoon Drive in Farmington is going through realignment once again because of high cost figures.

Originally, there was a block-long tunnel going over the trail designed and planned for the north end of 400 West in Farmington, which is commonly called the ‘jughandle,’ close to the Lagoon Campground.

The project had been in the works for more than a year, but Mayor Scott Harbertson said the original plans for the tunnel proved to be too costly for the city to handle.

“The street (400 West) was originally going to go over the trail, with the trail going through the tunnel, but when we sent the bid it came out to $200,000, which is a lot more than we expected,” he said. “It was much higher than what we had in our grant or what we had budgeted. We now have to go with plan B and take another look at how we can improve the trail.”

Harbertson said the city will be sure to focus on safety features while planning the trail’s realignment.

“We will try to enhance the area’s safety by having things like a rest island in the middle of the road, motion sensors that trigger flashing lights and a pedestrian signal,” he said. “We will also make sure to get approval for grant money and go out for a bid again.”

Doug Radunich