OCTA — Commissioners of the Fayette County Park District held an impromptu ribbon cutting in the Village of Octa on Wednesday in recognition of the end of the summer construction phase on the Western Fayette Bike Path.

The board recognized the growing public interest in the project, which connects Fayette County to Greene County and beyond, and wanted to ensure that everyone is aware it is open and accessible to all.

In 2019, the Fayette County Park District submitted the project and was invited to submit a formal application. Since that time, they have had engineering and environmental studies performed. Ohio EPA had concerns over brown bats in the tunnel under I-71 causing a substantial delay.

They were selected for funding in fiscal year 2023 and began construction early this year. A local contractor, Fillmore Construction LLC, from Leesburg bid the project at $1,267,747.50. Fayette County Park District (FCPD) will contribute 5% of the project construction expense. In addition, they have paid 100% of the engineering and environmental expenses.

The approximately 3.1 miles of trail has its eastern terminus in the Village of Octa.

FCPD wishes to thank and acknowledge the financial support of the Fayette County Commissioners, the City of Washington Court House, and Fayette Travel and Tourism. They also wish to thank the Fayette County Engineer’s Office for its valuable in-kind support, Village of Octa Mayor Amanda Wickline for her patience with this project, and Greene County Parks Director Jon Dobney for his cooperation and assistance with construction.

A more formal ribbon cutting ceremony will be conducted in the fall once the contractor is able to complete the installation of the electric lighting in the tunnel under I-71.