The future 15 kilometre pathway linking Coaldale and Lethbridge is seeing some exciting progress as construction is finally slated to begin this spring, after being in the works since 2016.

On Saturday, officials said the first phase of the two-phase pathway is set to be complete in about a year or so, they also say that it could take between two to three years to complete the entire project.

The pathway system would connect Henderson Lake Park in Lethbridge — via 10 Avenue S. and 43 Street — to the Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale, through land owned by the St. Mary’s River Irrigation District (SMRID).

Paved trails would run along the SMRID irrigation canal, and will provide a safe alternative to riding bikes or walking along the highways in the county.

READ MORE: Project aims to connect Lethbridge and Coaldale with bike path

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“I think the whole idea that we’re starting to become so aware of is sustainability —and the need to get out and exercise, it’s healthy for us and the need to add to our longevity — and this entirely feeds right into that,” said Alvin Fritz, the principal architect and urban planner on the project.

The project received the initial support of the Town of Coaldale, Lethbridge County and the SMRID in 2016, before Lethbridge City Council voted unanimously in favour of it in September of 2017.

“I’m real excited because it’s going to be a great option for families to get out go between Coaldale and Lethbridge, get out on an afternoon, get a great bike when we get the nice weather, and I think it’ll be good for businesses too because it’ll be a nice connection,” said Jeff Reimer, a Lethbridge resident and avid biker.

Reimer says he cant wait to start going on bike rides on the path with his family, he adds that he’s glad safety is a top priority in the project as well.

“Real excited that they’re caring about… doing it properly, getting it off of major arteries, where you can do it in safety — but they’re also talking about the aesthetics,” Reimer said.

“There’s going to be nice places to sit, adding trees and shrubbery…it’s going to have multi-purposes and benefits,” he said. Tweet This

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Henry Doeve, the chairman of the link pathway project, said there will be more than a dozen interpretive story boards along the path.

“[They’ll be] telling the story of agriculture, telling the story of the research station, how they benefit this region, how they fit into the fabric of this region,” Doeve said. “The irrigation, how does the irrigation get to where it is and how does it help us…so we can tell those stories, we can interpret them.”

Volunteers from the link pathway committee are currently raising money that will go towards amenities on the link.

In May of 2019, Doeve told Global News the committee’s preliminary budget is $4 million and that he expects they will be able to build it for less, given the support they have been receiving from both communities.

-With files from Danica Ferris