Tyler is one step closer to the construction of a two-mile hike and bike trail that will extend down Grande Boulevard and connect Royal Oak Drive to Rose Rudman Park.

City council members this morning approved a $3.07-million construction bid from Reynolds and Kay Ltd., which will allow construction to begin right away.

The concrete pedestrian and bike trail will stretch more than two miles and will feature benches, a mixture of natural and landscaped terrain and a retaining wall.

“In the Tyler 21 plan, developing alternatives to automobile transportation was one of the primary goals of the Transportation and Circulation plan,” Mayor Joey Seeber said.

Eighty percent of the project funding will be provided by a grant funded by Federal Highway Administration through the Texas Department of Transportation. The city will pay for the remainder of the project costs with revenue from the half-cent sales tax.

More details in Thursday's Tyler Morning Telegraph print edition.