HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the Walton Family Foundation on Thursday announced a multi-million dollar effort to complete a biking and pedestrian trail in eastern Arkansas.
Now, about 44 miles (70 kilometers) of The Delta Heritage Trail State Park are complete, and officials hope to invest a total of $40 million to complete another 40-mile (65-kilometer) section, which would create one of the longest dedicated pedestrian and bicycle routes in Arkansas, officials said in a news release.
The funding includes a $20 million matching grant from the Walton Family Foundation, and the state is applying for federal grants to match the grant, officials said.
“This joint effort is a dream nearly 30 years in the making, a bold idea now being realized in a community that, with continued support, can reach its enormous, untapped potential,” said Jim Walton, a son of Walmart founder Sam Walton.
The project will also honor the late John H. Johnson, a native of Arkansas City who founded the Ebony and Jet magazines.
