Baton Rouge’s popular Mississippi River Levee Trail draws walkers, runners and cyclists to 12.5 miles of paved, lighted pathway overlooking the river. Now, the path will expand 2 more miles, says City Parish Director of Transportation and Drainage Fred Raiford.
In April, the Metro Council gave the city-parish the greenlight to move forward with an agreement with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to jointly fund the project. The state will fund 80% of the work, with the city chipping in 20% through its MOVEBR program. The new extension continues the 10-foot-wide asphalt trail, including additional lighting. It will run from where the trail ends now near L’Auberge Casino & Hotel to the EBR Parish line.
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The levee path began several years ago as a 4.5-mile stretch connecting downtown to BREC’s Farr Park. A major extension came in 2020 when the gravel path from Farr Park to L’Auberge was finished with asphalt, adding another 8 miles. The trail is part of an effort to expand the city’s walkability outlined in its Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan. Work should begin on the extension by the end of the year, Raiford says. brgov.com
This article was originally published in the June 2023 issue of 225 magazine.