Two trail projects approved Monday will give walkers, runners and bicyclists new connections this year.

The north end of the Soldier Creek Nature Trail will be realigned as part of a bigger water quality project.

And a kind of underpass will be built to enable people to cross beneath the Union Pacific Railroad’s High Bridge, joining two sections of trail along the Des Moines River.

For trail users, the most obvious result of the work on the Soldier Creek Nature Trail will be a bridge that shifts the path to the east side of its namesake creek. City Manager David Fierke said that is being done to connect the trail with the one being built from 170th Street north to Badger.

Other work will include restoring the stream, reconnecting wetlands, adding meanders and ox bows to the creek, and restoring wetlands.

On Monday, the council hired Doyle Construction, of Fort Dodge, to do the work at a cost of $1,151,650.88.

Money from the state’s revolving loan program for water and wastewater projects will pay for the project.

To encourage communities to do these kinds of projects, the state cuts the interest rate on an existing loan, freeing up money for additional work.

Other bidders for the job were Anderson Drainage & Excavation LLC, of Humboldt ($1,292,516.75); Peterson Contractors Inc., Reinbeck ($1,310,840.25) and Reilly Construction, Ossian ($1,398,785.25)

A roughly 200-foot section of trail with a roof over it will be built under the railroad bridge. Fierke said the roof will protect people from anything that falls from the bridge.

When that relatively small section of trail is finished, it will join two trails that run along the river. The section on the south side of the bridge begins in the Pleasant Valley neighborhood, and was completed in partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers.

Fierke said the city has been talking to the railroad for years about an acceptable design for a connection under the bridge.

Doyle Construction was hired to build the trail connection at a cost of $286,943.50.

Other bidders were Jensen Builders Ltd. of Fort Dodge ($349,755) and Minturn Inc., Brooklyn ($362,233.50).