SOUTHWEST TRAIL WILL BE ‘HIGH-QUALITY AMENITY’

The Southwest Trail, which makes up the majority of the Southwest Corridor of the Central Arkansas Regional Greenways Plan, is on its way to becoming a reality. This is the first longdistance trail effort in central Arkansas. The official route begins at Little Rock Central High School and continues for 58.3 miles to Hot Springs National Park.

Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde said Pulaski County is entering its 10th year of work on the Southwest Trail, and the project “is a huge collaborative effort between the cities and counties involved.”

“As for Pulaski County’s portion, construction has started on the trail’s section from the Saline County line to Hilaro Springs Road,” Hyde said. “We expect that to be completed no later than the end of 2024. The next section is Hilaro Springs Road to Baseline Road, and we expect that project to go to bid this summer.”

Hyde said the Southwest Trail will provide recreation, as well as an alternative to vehicular travel, which will be beneficial to both residents and visitors.

“The Southwest Trail will be a high-quality amenity for all of Pulaski County and especially for downtown Little Rock,” Hyde said. “It will also provide a reliable asset for commuters, thus help our regional sustainability efforts. This will be a tourist attraction that will fill our hotels and bring business to our restaurants.”

Hyde said the entire Southwest Trail should be completed in the next five years, but he expects just less than 10 miles to be completed by spring 2025.