Prairie Grove Receives Grant

STATE AWARDS $140,000 TO CITY FOR WALKING TRAIL

The city’s plan to build a new, one-half mile paved walking trail around Muddy Fork Park took a step forward with the announcement of a $140,000 grant from the Arkansas Department of Transportation.

The grant comes from the department’s 2017 Transportation Alternatives Program and will be available in 2018. It is a reimbursement-type grant program that provides for an 80 percent federal share and a 20 percent local match.

Muddy Fork Park is still mainly undeveloped but plans call for it to have a one-half mile walking trail around the perimeter of the park, a natural trail, multi-use grassy areas for soccer and other activities, dog park, paved parking lot, restroom facility, playground, picnic areas and fishing sites along the Muddy Fork Branch.

Larry Oelrich, the city’s director

of administrative services and public works, said it will probably take about five years to complete everything planned for the park but he noted people already are going to the park to enjoy its natural setting.

City employees have been working on the park, leveling land, planting grass and preparing the ground for a parking lot. The natural trail along the Muddy Fork Branch is established and city workers will continue to improve it.

Oelrich said the city applied for $148,000 from the grant program and he estimates it will cost about $185,000 to build the walking trail. He said engineering plans and specifications for the trail will begin immediately and will have to be approved by the Department of Transportation.

He hopes to advertise for bids for the walking trail in April or May and then see work get underway shortly after that.

The park has about 15 acres, which includes land located on both sides of the Muddy Fork of the Illinois River. It is near the city’s sewer treatment facility and the public will be able to access the park from Belle Meade subdivision. The city will install fencing to hide any view of the sewer plant from visitors at the park.

In all, the Department of Transportation awarded $3.4 million from this program to 18 applicants. The city of Fayetteville received $332,000 to build a shared-use paved trail and the city of West Fork received $181,000 for a Neighborhood Safe Routes to School Connection.

Another $1.6 million was awarded through a second program called Recreational Trails Program. Lowell received a $485,000 grant to build a trailhead and connector trail to Razorback Greenway.

The Transportation Alternatives Program provides money for programs and projects for pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-motorized forms of transportation.

Eligible projects include construction of on-road and off-road trails that include sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure, pedestrian and bicycle signals, lighting and other safety-related infrastructure. Converted abandoned railroad corridors for pedestrian and bicycle trails are also eligible.

Money from the Recreational Trails program is used for maintenance and restoration of trails, development and renovation of trailside and trailhead facilities and trail links, and construction of trails.