A 66-mile bike trail connecting the heart of Fort Worth to the heart of Dallas is inching closer to completion.
Officials now expect it to be ready by the end of 2023.
The yet-to-be-named trail, which winds through Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Irving and Dallas was first proposed in 2013.
"The reason projects like this, unfortunately, take so long is because the difficult parts are done last," Karla Windsor, senior program manager at the North Central Texas Council of Governments said.
Windsor says the funding is completely in place, but environmental clearances and final designs for the project make the final few steps fairly slow.
"We had a lot of trail that already existed," Windsor said. "It's those connecting parts between Arlington and Grand Prairie and Fort Worth connecting near the TRE Station, those things are pretty complicated from an engineering perspective."
But when complete, North Texas will have a unique 66-mile trail cutting through the area.
"I think it's a great opportunity to think about regionalism and how communities are connecting," Windsor said. "It's an oasis of green space in a very urban area of the country."
And in April, NCTCG will be having a public meeting, proposing two names for the trail. The public will then help choose the final name of the newest destination attraction in North Texas.
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow NewsRadio 1080 KRLD