A project that will be bid out this coming spring will make it easier for cyclists to enjoy the Great River Road. With the state recreation grant Louisa County Secondary Roads recently received, they have the funding needed to install a paved shoulder along X61 from Highway 99 to 162nd Street. The $340,000 Iowa recreational trail grant matches a $1.3 million grant they were awarded through the National Scenic Byways program.

The sixteen mile lane will cover just a small portion of the Great River Road National Scenic Byway which follows the Mississippi River for 3,000 miles from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico.

According to Louisa County Engineer Larry Roehl the Great River Road Bike Lane will help bicyclists access the many attractions along the road, like the Toolesboro Mound Group, Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge and Langwood Education Center.