DES MOINES, Iowa —

Mark your calendars for Aug. 7.

That's when the burned Raccoon River Valley Trail bridge in Adel opens after it was seriously damaged in a fire in May.

"It was a real heartache for folks," says Luke Hoffman, executive director of the Iowa Bike Coalition, "because it's right there in Adel, which is one of the key points along the whole trail."

The bridge closure affects Central Iowa, he says. The coalition supported a report on the economic impact of the trail system in the state. It adds up to millions.

"This particular trail is not only the most significant trail in terms of annual visitors, over 350,000 annual visitors every single year of all sorts, all sorts of trail users, whether it be cyclists, runners, bikers, hikers, and it is the largest paved loop in the

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