A new multi-use trail will add to the city of Greenwood’s expansive trail inventory.

The Northeast Loop Trail, a 10-foot-wide, multi-use asphalt trail located around the perimeter of Northeast Park is near completion. Excavation work for the trail began on Sept. 27, according to city officials.

Asphalt has been laid for the trail, which is approximately 0.7 miles long, and crews are working to dress up and grade the edges, along with placing straw next to the trail. All that remains is the removal of dirt from the site next week, said Rob Taggart, parks and recreation executive director.

“But other than that, it’s complete,” Taggart said.

Adding multi-use trails within an existing parks property, is an opportunity to add value to land the city already owns for residents, Taggart said. In the case of Northeast Park, there was plenty of space to grow, he said.

In addition to the new trail, the 19-acre park features a soccer complex, playground equipment, a basketball court, a softball diamond, a picnic shelter and the city’s only skatepark.

The new trail will allow people to walk and ride bikes freely and safely without vehicular conflicts. No motorized vehicles are allowed along the trail, Taggart said.

“It’s just a really nice amenity for people in that neighborhood to be able to recreate safely without the vehicular conflicts,” he said.

Funding for the project, which cost $324,984, came from the Community Development Block Grant, or CDBG. The grant is used for under-served communities in under-served areas, and provided 100% of the funding for the project, officials said.

“We feel that utilizing that grant money toward a trail like this is absolutely fantastic,” Taggart said. “It’s a great amenity for not only the community but the city of Greenwood as well.”

This is not the first time Northeast Park has benefited from CDBG funding. Last summer’s project to transform the 25-year-old skatepark also utilized CDBG funds, according to the city.

The Northeast Loop Trail adds another 0.7 miles to the city’s already expansive trails system. More than 50 linear miles of multi-use trails and walkways are present throughout the city.

“Adding the Northeast Loop Trail is yet another way we are encouraging folks to get active,” Mayor Mark Myers said in a statement. “I am a firm believer that a healthy community is a strong community.”

The ultimate goal with any parks system is to have connectivity throughout a city, and that is the aspiration for Greenwood, Taggart said.

“Whether that be connectivity through places of interest, connectivity through your parks, or holistically all of them together,” he said. “I think ultimately that that is the aspiring goal for the city.”

The new trail is another example of a quality-of-life recreational amenity in the city, and it gives people the opportunity to experience the park, Taggart said.

“It’s a great amenity for people,” he said. “… It’s a great amenity for the community.”