A scenic Colorado bike trail many years and many dollars in the making is down to the last 12 miles.

Work has been underway this summer on a stretch of pavement connecting Dotsero to Gypsum — one of the last four segments needing construction to realize the full Eagle Valley Trail. Once complete, cyclists will be able to pedal 63 miles between the top of Vail Pass to Glenwood Canyon without using the highway.

For the extra bold, that won’t be the only possibility, said Kevin Sharkey, trails program manager for Eagle County. Linking with other pavement, Eagle Valley Trail will allow for riding close to 140 miles from Breckenridge to Aspen off the highway.

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“Anybody interested in sustainable tourism or bike tours, this should be on their list of places to go,” Sharkey said. “Just because it’s a safe way to cover a lot of miles in a beautiful part of the country.”

While eco-tourism is one consideration, Eagle Valley Trail was more so envisioned to connect residents across Eagle County, from Vail to Minturn to Edwards on west through Eagle.

The idea is to “shift to greener, healthier and more inclusive travel” and “ensure our communities have safe routes that are accessible for all ages, abilities and budgets,” explains the initiative’s website. The trail connects to bus stops, places of work and open spaces.

Sharkey traced the idea to 1996, when a sales tax program was born to fund the regional trail. Since then, more money has come from local governments, state and federal grants and various donors.

The latest major commitment: county commissioners’ $22 million pledge last year, through borrowing that put several county buildings up as collateral.

“That speaks directly to this project and how important it is,” Sharkey said.

For the final 12 miles, it’s expected to take $38.2 million. The biggest gap of trail is between Edwards and Wolcott.

“We saved the most difficult and most expensive segments for last,” Sharkey said. “Here we are in the middle part of the county, and it’s gonna be expensive because it’s narrow, and it’s gonna take a lot of retaining walls and several bridges.”

Pending fundraising, he said the goal is to finish in 2024.

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