ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The city’s bike trail is a quarter of a century old this week, and events are planned to mark the occasion.

Recreation Director Eric Gay said the trail has long been a source of enjoyment.

“It’s the 25th year of the bike trail, which is crazy because I remember when I was in high school and they were constructing this thing,” he said.

The official ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the gazebo at 215 Sunset Drive.

“Dennis Bigler, who was the former service director here and Mayor (Bob) Vincenzo were the two that spearheaded the project. They will both be here on Wednesday night for the festivities. It is open to the public to come down and just see the trail if you haven’t.”

Other prior officials who had been involved in planning and landscaping the trail will also give remarks.

“It’ll just be nice to have everybody coming back that was so influential in getting this place opened up and taking care of it,” Gay said.

U.S. Rep Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, will also be represented and present a certificate of recognition.

Gay also mentioned the support of the city and Mayor Kathryn Thalman.

“She is such a big supporter of this place. She’s down here all the time,” he said. “The service director, Jeremy Greenwood, he takes care of this place. It’s unbelievable the work he puts into it.”

Gay also commended the street department employees and groundskeepers.

“The place looks immaculate. We’re just thrilled that we have it to give families a place to walk, run, kids to ride the bikes without having to worry about traffic coming at them. We’re very thankful that we have this and it’s just crazy how fast 25 years is going,” he said.

Representatives from MS Consultants, the engineering and design firm planning the rehabilitation of the U.S. 40 Rail Tunnel will also be present to answer questions and lead attendees on a tour through the tunnel.

Events are also planned for 7:30 p.m. Friday, when musician Logan Wojcik will perform.

“We’ll have an ice cream truck here, bring your own seating. It’s a pretty cool event, so we’re kind of looking forward to that to cap the week off,” he said.

“We just encourage people to take advantage of this place. Come out here, walk the trails, ride your bikes around. It’s really a neat thing we have, so if people haven’t been here to see it, we just encourage them to come out.”

Gay pointed out the Story Walk at the south end of the trail as another attraction. The walk includes panels installed in cooperation with the St. Clairsville Public Library that can be fitted with pages of a book for visitors to the trail to read as they walk or ride. For the anniversary celebration, the story walk tells the history of the trail.

“It shows the history of the bike trail. What it looked like before it was built, all the way up to completion,” Gay said. “It has pictures and a little story from the inception of this, so it’s a pretty cool thing.”

He added the images along the walk have a QR code that can be scanned with a phone and that runs a video of the day St. Clairsville opened the trail.

“St. Clairsville Public Library, they were huge in that,” he said.

Jaci Tuttle of St. Clairsville said she and her children often enjoy the chance to get some exercise at a safe trail.

“It gets them off the electric scooters,” she said.

Kaden Clifford, 15, of St. Clairsville is one frequent visitor to the trail.

“I think it’s nice. I like the tunnel,” Clifford said.