The federal funding package signed into law last month includes $1 million to develop the Satellite Boulevard segment of the Gwinnett Loop Trail, a 17-mile circular pedestrian and biking path in western Gwinnett County.
The funding will go toward construction and acquiring rights of way for about 3 miles of multi-use paths that will connect the Gas South Arena to existing paths on Satellite Boulevard and in Peachtree Ridge Park, according to the Gwinnett County Department of Transportation.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, said in a news release that he worked U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, to secure the funding after Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson brought the proposal to his office.
“Gwinnett County families deserve access to world-class recreation,” Ossoff said. “Working alongside Congresswoman McBath, we brought Republicans and Democrats together to help create new outdoor trails around Satellite Boulevard and expand access to the outdoors.”
The Satellite Boulevard segment will close a gap in the loop, connecting the arena to several area parks, the Western Gwinnett Bikeway and the Suwanee Creek Greenway.
“The Loop Trail has the unique ability to transform and enhance connectivity and the quality of life of our residents and visitors to the county,” Hendrickson said in the news release. “Completing this section will allow all pedestrians to have a safe and functional space for recreational activities.”
The city of Suwanee is also completing part of the 17-mile loop.
Gwinnett County will solicit design phase services for the Satellite Boulevard trail this month, said Erica Brizzee, deputy director of the Office of Transportation Planning, Design and Construction. The last cost estimate was $8 million for the segment, but the county will get a revised estimate in light of recent sharp increases in construction costs, Brizzee said.
The 2017 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) allocated $4.1 million for the trail. A previous federal grant contributed $1.1 million, Brizzee said.
