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Plainfield Charter Township - South Rogue River Trail

Important Information

This project is a part of Plainfield Charter Township’s Master Plan being completed now at the request of Kent County Parks to fit in their overall Grand River Greenway trail plan. It is an 8-foot-wide paved pathway that starts at the White Pine Trail and ends at Kuttshill Dr (Northland Drive), where the tunnel will start. Kent County Parks is contributing to the project with a 175′ x 10′ wide long prefabricated steel bridge over the Rogue River (next spring).

Funding:

  • Trail: Plainfield Trails and Recreational Areas Millage, approved by voters in 2016.
  • Bridge: Kent County Parks is reimbursing the Township for this cost.

Schedule:

Work on the trail will begin in September 2025 and wrap up for the year in mid-November. Work will continue on the bridge through the winter, with completion of the entire project in the spring of 2026, by May 15, 2026.

Access/Traffic:

We anticipate occasional temporary road closures, specifically when the bridge is placed in the spring of 2026. Most trail work will be completed with temporary shoulder and lane closures.

Contact

P&N Engineer
Scott Post, PE
Project Manager
616-485-0281

P&N Construction Observer
John Standinger
312-833-7379

Contractor
Dan’s Excavating Services
Mr. Spencer Tellkamp
231-629-0501

Plainfield Charter Township
Mr. Bill Fischer
Community Development Director
616-364-1190

Joe Ketchum
Director of Facilities Management
248-640-2749

September 19, 2025

Progress Report: Construction has started on the South Rogue River Trail! This week crews have been on site working on tree removal and brush clearing. Crews started on the east end of the project and have been working west through the easement within Blythefield Country Club’s property.

Upcoming Work: Next week tree clearing crews plan to continue to work within the Blythefield easement and possibly remove small trees in the road right of way. Dan’s Excavating plans to be on site to begin stripping topsoil and start pathway grading.
August 27, 2025

Plainfield Charter Township is pleased to inform you that we will soon begin construction of the South Rogue River Trail near your property. The 8-foot-wide asphalt pathway will run along the south side of Rogue River Road and span about two miles, from the White Pine Trail to approximately the Rogue River Road/Kuttshill Drive intersection (see map below). The project also includes the construction of a 10-foot-wide pedestrian bridge over the Rogue River.

When completed, this trail segment will be a critical section of Kent County Park’s Grand River Greenway project pathway from Millennium Park to Lowell. For more information about the Grand River Greenway project, visit grandrivergreenway.org.

Trail construction is expected to begin in mid-September and continue until mid-November. The contractor will start at the east end of the project (Rogue River Road/Kuttshill Drive) and work westward to the White Pine Trail. While some work on the bridge supports may continue through the winter, construction of the trail will begin again in the spring. If all goes as scheduled, final paving and restoration should be complete by May 15, 2026.

Please note that while work is being done on the trail, there will be shoulder closures and some intermittent lane closures. If you have additional questions or need further information, please contact Professional Engineer Scott Post of Prein & Newhof at spost@preinnewhof.com or (616) 432-6722. For weekly trail construction updates, please visit plainfieldmi.org.