By SHERRI KOLADE
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — The city’s Recreation and Parks Department is scheduled to receive a $280,000 grant to expand the Rouge River Gateway Greenway Trail, Recreation Director Greg Orner confirmed Dec. 27.
Orner said his department is waiting on state legislative approval for the grant, which is scheduled to take place in January.
According to www.cityofdearborn.org, the Rouge River Gateway Greenway Trail is a 1.5-mile path with two pedestrian bridges over the Rouge River, which gives bikers and walkers a path from Hines Drive through the University of Michigan-Dearborn and Henry Ford Community College campuses and access into the west Dearborn shopping district.
According to www.michigan.gov, the expansion will include a quarter-mile trail extension of the Rouge River Gateway Trail to connect to Ford Field Park.
Orner said the Recreation and Parks Department wanted to expand the trail because of heavy foot traffic from Ford Field in the business district of west Dearborn, which uses the Michigan Avenue corridor.
If the grant is approved, the city will give $278,200 toward the project and the Michigan Department of Transportation will give $301,000, totaling $859,200.
Once the anticipated budget is granted, Orner said the department hopes to begin construction and undergo an engineering phase.
Orner said he hopes to have the trail project completed by the end of 2013.
(Sherri Kolade can be reached at [email protected]wickpublications.com.)