A biking and walking trail linking Wilmington with New Castle, and conceived of as the "crown jewel" of Delaware's pathways, will open Wednesday after two years of construction funded by federal highway dollars.

It is the culmination of more than a decade of Delaware planners' focus on expanding the state's network of bike paths.

For months, drivers on Interstate 95 south of Wilmington could watch the incremental assembly of a wooden-arched bicycle bridge that spanned the Christina River.

Less conspicuous was the construction north of the bridge of 2,300 feet of elevated boardwalk that crosses the Russell W. Peterson Wildlife Refuge and ultimately connects with the Wilmington Riverfront.

To the south of the bridge is the existing, yet largely unused, Industrial Track Trail that leads to Old New Castle.

Taken together, the segments form a 7.9-mile pathway that is nearly uninterrupted by roads between Delaware's largest city and one of its most historic.

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In late 2016, crews from contractor JJID Inc. submitted a winning $18.5 million bid to the Delaware Department of Transportation to build the bridge and boardwalk.

State and county officials said then the resulting path would be unique in Delaware because it was designed for commuters rather than solely for leisurely outings.

It was that vision that convinced the Federal Highway Administration to fund 80 percent of construction through a program meant to ease road congestion and improve air quality. Officials argued that the more commuters who use the trail, the fewer there will be on the road.

One state planner even predicted that biking on the trail, when opened, could be faster than driving between New Castle and Wilmington during the heaviest rush hours.

Now, with the trail opening, transportation planners will be able to gauge how many would-be Wilmington commuters have been sold on the vision of opting for a bike.

It is a question that could determine whether Delaware decides to build similarly large-scale bicycle paths in the future, including one from Wilmington to Newport, said James Wilson, executive director of Bike Delaware.

"It absolutely depends on whether a whole bunch of people are using it," he said.

To maximize the number of riders, he said, the state should spend more money building additional spurs to the pathway, including one to the numerous business parks that lie along Commons Boulevard in suburban New Castle.

New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer also has been a vocal supporter of similar trail spurs in that area.

"We need to make sure that everybody within half a mile of this trail can get to it," Wilson said.

The New Castle to Wilmington trail will officially open just after a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3 p.m Wednesday at the trail's launch point at the DuPont Environmental Education Center in Wilmington.

It will be named the Jack A. Markell Trail, after Delaware's governor who left office in 2017 and championed cycling.

Markell will be at the ribbon-cutting as will Gov. John Carney, DelDOT Secretary Jennifer Cohan and other government officials.

During Markell's first term in 2011, members of the Delaware Senate also became trail advocates, passing a resolution requesting the state study and build trail connections to form networks uninterrupted by roads.

DelDOT's vision: Paths to connect the suburbs

Today, notable walking and biking trails in Delaware include one that follows the length of the C&D Canal and another that links Lewes with Rehoboth.

Contact Karl Baker at kbaker@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2329. Follow him on Twitter @kbaker6.