The first leg of the Historic Minnesota Valley Trail along Chippewa County Highway 15 from Wegdahl to the west side of Montevideo is now complete. The residents of Montevideo and Chippewa County have begun Phase I of a city-wide trail system that will link the County 15 path with the historic Milwaukee Railroad Depot, downtown Montevideo, Chippewa City and local parks.

Starting at the junction with the County 15 bikeway, the Phase I trail will go through the “Evans Park” housing development, past the new Middle School and Senior High School, through Chinhinta Park and down through a viaduct to a historic trail adjacent to the Twin City and Western (TC&W) Railroad right of way. This leg will lead to a rest stop and information kiosk near the Montevideo historic Milwaukee Road Depot and “gateway” area of Montevideo's unique main street.

From the depot, the trail will proceed to the recently reclaimed site of the Montevideo Railroad Yard Round House. At this point, the trail will branch off to historic Chippewa City at the junction of Highways 59 and 7 on the south, and to Smith Park on the north. A historic iron bridge will span the abandoned channel of the Chippewa River to bring cyclists to Chippewa City - the “crown jewel” of western Minnesota historic sites. A viaduct under the TC&W railroad bridge will bring trail users to Smith Park and its well maintained WPA-era structures.

The touring public and local commuters will be able to access this trail at several different locations. Out of town visitors will be directed to the trail entrances at Chippewa City and the Historic Department, while residents of Montevideo will most likely access the trail at the depot, the schools, or the Evans Park entry points. Information kiosks, bike racks and parking will be available at various points throughout the system.

Phases II, III, IV, and V of this project call for linking the trail to the campgrounds at Montevideo's Lagoon Park, the boat landing on the Minnesota River, the highly acclaimed Windom Park Pool and Recreation area, and to new housing developments, wetlands and industrial and commercial developments on Montevideo's northern and western edge.

Safety and commuter linkages are major considerations in the design and construction of this project. The trail will provide local school children, teachers, cyclists, hikers and skiers with a safe and scenic route for getting to schools, experiencing the history of the railroad yards and Chippewa City, and other public facilities.

The overall goal of Montevideo's Bikeways Project is to demonstrate that small rural communities in western Minnesota can offer the commuter linkages, recreational and tourism amenities often found only in large urban areas.