Construction of Arlington's portion of the trail linking Dallas to Fort Worth along the Trinity River is expected to begin late this year.

A contract to build the estimated $1 million trail connection, which will take about a year to complete, could be awarded by the Arlington City Council as soon as September.

The proposed project will work to fill in one of the gaps in what will eventually become a 60-mile-long trail system along the Trinity River between Dallas and Fort Worth. These pathways are designed to create inviting amenities for long-distance runners, cyclists, and others who enjoy the outdoors. Arlington's 7-mile long trail is currently the largest continuous section in the system.

Map of the proposed Trinity River trail extension in Arlington.

Arlington's proposed contract is for construction of a half-mile, 12-foot wide concrete trail, two pedestrian bridges over small tributaries, retaining walls, benches and directional/location signage. This future section of trail will extend north from the existing 7 Mile Marker in the River Legacy Parks, curve around the western side of Riverside Golf Club and continue east to end at the SH 360 right of way. The new section will help link Arlington to Fort Worth's and eventually Grand Prairie's trail and the Trinity Railway Express rail station in Fort Worth.

As part of its priority to Champion Great Neighborhoods, the Arlington City Council supports projects such as trails that are designed to improve the quality of life for residents. The trail connectivity between Fort Worth and Dallas will also help Enhance Regional Mobility, another City Council priority.

The City of Arlington received a federal highway grant for $510,748, which is about half of the project cost. The remaining portion will be paid for from the Parks and Recreation capital project budget.

While most of the construction will be in River Legacy Parks, two portions of trail will run through Viridian, a residential community bordering the park.