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Five projects in Pulaski County are among 67 statewide that have been awarded $20 million in funding by the Arkansas Department of Transportation, the agency announced Wednesday.
ARDOT announced the recipients of the 2025 Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) and Recreational Trails Program (RTP) funding, including $500,000 for the Southeast Trail’s Airport to Port Central Arkansas Greenway in Pulaski County.
TAP was reauthorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and provides funding for programs and projects defined as “transportation alternatives” for pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-motorized forms of transportation, according to a media release.
TAP is a reimbursement-type grant program that provides for an 80% federal share and a 20% local match from eligible applicants. RTP is funded through a portion of TAP funds set aside specifically for recreational trails.
Eligible projects include construction of on-road and off-road trail facilities that include sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure, pedestrian and bicycle signals, lighting and other safety-related infrastructure.
For 2025, a total of 60 TAP projects have been awarded about $18.9 million. Seven RTP projects were awarded for approximately $1.8 million.
According to Matt Breckenridge, a county engineer, the $500,000 for the Southeast Trail is intended for “design work for developing alignment” of the trail and identifying environmental issues.
In addition to the Southeast Trail project, also receiving $500,000 is phase two of Little Rock’s Markham Street side path project, phase two of Maumelle’s Lake Willastein trail improvements project and the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism’s Pinnacle Valley Road Shared-Use Trail project.
North Little Rock’s Safe Routes for Kids project also was awarded $32,000.
Groundbreaking for the first phase of improvements to the Southeast Trail took place in March 2024.
The project is intended to extend the path’s “recreational and commuter options,” while allowing pedestrians a way to safely enjoy the Arkansas River.
The entirety of the Southeast Corridor, once complete, will stretch about 21.5 miles, leading from the Arkansas River Trail to Wrightsville. It is projected to cost about $33,122,245, according to the regional plan’s technical report.
The path is meant to link the downtown portion of the Arkansas River Trail to the terminal of Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field.
The Southeast Trail, which formalized a route that was often known as “the airport loop,” was first dedicated in 2016, according to the county.
Upgrades will include a new 12-foot-wide shared-use path extending from the Arkansas River Trail to Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field along an existing levee.
It will connect the Clinton Presidential Library, the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, Heifer International, the Residences at Harbor Town, Rock City Yacht Club, Carver Magnet Elementary School, East Village, East Little Rock Community Center and Dassault Falcon Jet.
Improvements to the trail fall within the Central Arkansas Regional Greenways Plan, a larger effort to develop an estimated $279 million, 222-mile trail network connecting cities throughout the region. The regional project is intended to bolster residents’ and visitors’ quality of life, promote better health and boost the region’s economic vitality.
Information for this report was provided by Josh Snyder of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.