The lakefront trail will soon have two distinct paths for walkers and bikers, with work on the project beginning on the South Side Sunday, the city said. View Full Caption Flickr/ReallyBoring

CHICAGO — The lakefront trail will soon have two distinct paths for walkers and bikers, with work on the project beginning on the South Side Sunday, the city said.

City officials gathered at the lakefront trail near 31st Street Beach Sunday to kick off the first phase of the trail separation project, which includes adding a second path between Fullerton and Ohio streets and 31st and 51st streets, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a news release.

The project is beginning at these point to address problems of overcrowding along the lakefront path, where tourists, walkers and bicyclists vie for space on the trail.

"Trail separation does more than address issues of overcrowding," Emanuel said in a statement. "It builds a better future for one of the city's greatest assets by ensuring more commuters are able to experience what the lakefront has to offer."

One path will be dedicated to "commuters," or people using the lakefront to bike to work or for exercise, according to the city. The second path will be for pedestrians, meant for people on foot.

The city did not give a completion date for the project, which began in earnest on the South Side Sunday.

The work is being done as part of the mayor's "Building on Burnham" plan to revitalize the lakefront and other natural areas. City workers in June began work to resurface about 7 miles of heavily used lakefront path, starting in Edgewater and working south.

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