BREC receives grant to construct trail connecting Downtown and North Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE – Thanks to a large federal grant, a new bike/walking trail is in the works.

Monday morning, BREC received a federal grant valued at more than $3.7 million to construct a multi-use trail connecting Downtown and North Baton Rouge.

The first phase of the project will begin at Memorial Stadium Sports Complex and end at Scotlandville Parkway. This phase will connect people and neighborhoods along the way to recreational facilities, schools, churches and more. The second phase will provide further connections into downtown linking to the DDD Downtown Greenway.

“This is a real game-changer and eventually, this trail will make it possible for residents to go between Southern University and LSU on their bicycles or on foot as one section will connect to the Downtown Greenway and the other will be extended to the Southern University Campus,” said Superintendent Carolyn McKnight.

The total cost of the project will be more than $4.1 million with the federal grant funding 80 percent of the project. BREC funding the remaining 20 percent at a cost of more than $800,000.