Commercial Design Awards
Commercial Design Awards Winner: Dirt 66
TrailSpring aims to construct more than 70 miles of mountain bike trail on Historic Route 66 and is aptly naming the trail Dirt 66.
By Tessa Cooper
Jul 2021
Photo by Progressive Trail DesignTrailSpring aims to construct more than 70 miles of mountain bike trail on Historic Route 66 and is aptly naming the trail Dirt 66.
CATEGORY: Unbuilt Project
Planner and Phase 1 Contractor: Progressive Trail Design
Planner: LaneShift
Planner and Developer: TrailSpring
TrailSpring is building more than 70 miles of mountain bike trail on Historic Route 66 and is aptly naming the trail Dirt 66.
While traversing a trail, the construction process is likely the last thing on a rider, hiker or runner’s mind. But it’s the methodical design that allows for a relaxing state of mind when tire, tread or feet meet dirt.
Although Dirt 66, a trail development by TrailSpring and Progressive Trail Design, is just underway, it’s already a trailblazer thanks to a new type of partnership—a private company building a mountain bike trail on City Utilities’s property.
The Dirt 66 Master Plan is a comprehensive natural surface trail network that will connect six green zones across north Springfield through integration with paved trails and the existing Sac River Mountain Bike Trails. According to Jessica Pearson, executive director of TrailSpring, Dirt 66 is less environmentally invasive than a paved trail.
Photo by Progessive Trail Design
“Nature is the beauty of the trail, and we want to keep it as natural as possible,” Pearson says. The trail’s section along Fellows Lake is well underway, and Pearson hopes Dirt 66’s completion will entice young talent to settle in Springfield. “People are following lifestyle, and then the jobs follow the people,” she notes. “Amenities like Dirt 66 are crucial for our ability to attract and retain talent.”
