The Charleston to Mattoon Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail is one of the 33 projects across the state that will see major improvements. The Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program says the work is needed and will help improve the quality of life for residents. The Charleston to Mattoon Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail that is 12.1 miles of nothing but gravel, nature and fresh air will soon see improvements thanks to the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program. Mattoon resident Mac White says uses the trail frequently to walk his dog and ride his bike. He says the improvements will be a big help for bike riders White said, "Its always been gravel roads and sometimes it was hard to ride on. Your bike would get bogged down and it was a little sketchy and your bike would be moving all over the place. And I had a mountain bike and it was still like that. But now with paving you can ride it with a road bike and it will be really good." White says he's never had an accident while riding on the trails ... but if your bike doesn't have proper tires it could be a struggle. White said, "One time I was riding over to Charleston with a buddy and he didn't really have a mountain bike and he was really struggling to pedal in places and he had to stop and take some breaks because it was really hard to pedal on a bike with narrow tires." White says before every ride he would check the forecast for rain, just in case. "If I knew it was going to rain I didn't ride ... I mean you just couldn't. I got stuck out there a couple of times in the rain and it was not fun." He says the renovations would definitely make it easier to ride the day after wet weather. White said, "It's really cool and so quiet and peaceful. Especially at 6:30 in the morning and I didn't have any ear buds in. It's just me and nature commuting on my way to work." The Transportation department says ... IN ALL ... the projects will cost more than 30-million dollars. Eagle Trails in Newton and streetscaping in Dieterich are also on of the lists of projects. Communities must also match at least 20 percent of the project. The money from the projects comes from federal dollars.
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