Crossing for ATVs, dirt bikes on Confederation Trail officially opens

For the first time a crossing for all-terrain vehicle drivers on the Confederation Trail in P.E.I. has officially opened. It's located just north of the Royalty Junction in the Winsloe neighbourhood of Charlottetown.

Riders can legally cross only at the designated location and are not allowed to ride down the trail. Riders have their own system of trails which are marked with orange stakes and signs said Paul Wilbert, president of the P.E.I. ATV Federation.

This was wilderness.Paul Wilbert, P.E.I. ATV Federation

"This has never been done for an ATV federation to ask written permission across a trail to the P.E.I. government," said Wilbert.

• ATVs can legally cross section of Confederation Trail

"It allows us to stop using a paved road to get to a destination," said Wilbert.

Talks with 60 landowners

He said the plan is to help keep ATVs and bikes off agricultural land. The federation has asked 60 private land owners for written permission to cross the site.

The P.E.I. ATV Federation and Queens County Trail Blazers cleaned up the whole area to make the crossing. They improved visibility and put up signs.

"This was wilderness," Wilbert said.

He said his organization met with the the tourism and transportation provincial departments to figure outwhere was best to cross without doing any environmental damage. He said the crossing is in a place where anyone using the trail could see the ATVs.

Permission for one year

ATVs have permission to cross the trail for one year at the seven-metre wide by 20-metre long strip of land.

There's still a tree line to trim in the area, which willtake about five days.

Wilbert said an application for a second trail crossing in the province was submitted earlier this year.