JERSEY CITY -- Jersey City is now one step closer to building a pedestrian pathway that will stretch from the Hackensack River to the Hudson River waterfront.

The city announced Wednesday it was awarded $3.5 million in grant money for the construction of the Morris Canal Greenway, an 8-mile path that will follow a portion of the original canal.

The grant, awarded from the state Department of Transportation, will be used to build both on-road and off-road pedestrian pathways that will begin at the edge of the Hackensack River in Lincoln Park, run through the southern portion of the city and lead into Morris Canal Park on the Hudson River waterfront.

"Transforming this historic pathway into the Morris Canal Greenway is a major step forward for Jersey City and the State, providing open space and off-street, multimodal paths for safe transportation that will improve connectivity between neighborhoods," Mayor Steve Fulop said in a press release.

A good day. We just got word we’ve been awarded a $3.5million federal grant for construction of the Morris Canal Greenway in #JerseyCity - we’ve been chasing this $ for years! We’re thinking of going to the NJ Infrastructure Bank for a low interest loan to do knock out more now pic.twitter.com/EjOt5RBzP2 — Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop) November 14, 2018

Ashley Manz, a spokeswoman for the city, said construction is expected to begin in the next two years.

The Morris Canal, a 102-mile canal built in the early 19th century, functioned as a corridor for coal traveling from Pennsylvania into the heart of New Jersey's iron district.

Once completed, Jersey City's greenway will be a segment of a continuous pedestrian and bicycle trail running through six counties in northern New Jersey, stretching from the Hudson to the Delaware River.

The $3.5 million was awarded to the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency and will be used to link portions of the contiguous route, a city spokesperson said. Much of the pathway will not , but a significant portion of the path in Greenville will run along roadways.

The plan to build the greenway was first announced in 2013 as a way to provide "much-needed space dedicated to bicyclists and pedestrians for circulation and recreation."

Additionally, city officials say this project will bolster efforts to eliminate all traffic fatalities by 2026.

"The City is committed to the Vision Zero initiative, aiming to eliminate all traffic fatalities by 2026, making our roads safe for travelers on bike, foot, car and more," Fulop said.

Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @coreymacc. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.