Work should be underway soon on a new segment of a state recreational trail that winds through the area.

On Tuesday, the Mower County board accepted a low bid of roughly $204,000 from Hansen Hauling and Excavating of Austin to do partial construction on a portion of the Shooting Star Trail between Rose Creek and Adams.

County engineer Mike Hanson said the work, which could start as early as next week, will include pipe replacement, tree clearing and some surface restoration.

The bid came in under the engineer’s estimate and under the roughly $262,000 in state funds remaining for the project this year — money that Hanson said will likely be spent soon because the state could take back the funding if it’s not.

The project won’t pave the route — that would’ve cost roughly $1 million, Hanson said previously — but the engineer is hopeful that if the trail shows progress now, the state will be more likely to fund it again next session.

When completed, the Shooting Star State Trail will connect the towns of LeRoy, Taopi, Adams, Rose Creek, Austin and Lyle. It is planned to connect to the Blazing Star State Trail in Austin.

Currently, the paved portion of the trail totals 14 miles.