Dakota County veterans to be honored along $23 million bicycle/pedestrian corridor

Maraya King, Pioneer Press
·2 min read

Dakota County will break ground Thursday on a five-mile pedestrian and bicycle corridor dedicated to its veterans.

Veterans Memorial Greenway will run between Eagan and Inver Grove Heights and feature eight memorials dedicated to Dakota County’s veterans, said Tony Wotzka, parks and greenway administrator for Dakota County.

The trail, which was formerly known as the Rich Valley Greenway, will provide a safer route for pedestrians and bicyclists as it connects Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan with the Mississippi River Greenway in Inver Grove Heights, Wotzka said.

“It will be the longest greenway dedicated to veterans in Minnesota,” said Dakota County Commissioner William Droste. Dakota County is home to more than 22,000 veterans, Droste said, underscoring the importance of the memorial.

With the help of veteran advisors, eight themes were chosen for the memorials and adopted by the Dakota County board of commissioners last month: Native American veterans, Gold Star Families, Military Units and Flyers, veteran support organizations, Missing in Action, Places We Served, In the Service and Dakota County Military Places.

A far cry from traditional plaques, each of the memorials will feature elements like sculptures, pergolas, benches, plazas and interactive features with QR codes.

The current estimate for the project comes just under $24 million, Wotzka said, with roughly $20 million allocated for construction. Federal and state funding is helping the project, which has secured around $17 million so far, and the rest awaits board approval, Wotzka said.

The Veterans Memorial Greenway has many partners, Wotzka said, including Inver Grove Heights, Eagan, the Department of Natural Resources and Flint Hills Resources, a refinery that donated land along the greenway’s path.

Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony will launch the first of three construction phases for the project, which is projected to be completed in 2027, Wotzka said.

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