Final bike path phase links St. Charles with Jefferson, St. John

Parish only pays $51,200 for 2.9-mile path

Jonathan Menard/Herald-Guide

Both the East and West bank jogging/bike paths have been popular with active parish residents.

Eight years after the first phase started construction, a final phase of the East Bank Multi-Use Mississippi Levee Path in St. Charles is set to link Jefferson and St. John the Baptist parishes.

A recent grant award in the amount of $973,800 will fund the construction of Phase 6, a 2.9-mile stretch from the upper guide levee of the Bonnet Carre Spillway to the existing path in neighboring St. John.

The grant requires that the parish match it five percent for construction, with the local share being $51,200, officials said.

"The completion of this path along the entire stretch of East Bank levee in our parish shows the commitment of state and parish leaders, over many years, to provide more recreation and transportation opportunities in our area," Parish President V.J. St. Pierre said.

Meanwhile, Phase 4 (Harding Street in New Sarpy to Apple Street in Norco) and Phase 5 (Apple Street to the spillway lower guide levee) are set for construction soon. DOTD opened bids on the projects Oct. 26, with Three C’s Properties Inc. the apparent low bidder for both phases at $907,540 and $379,809 respectively. The parish will match five percent of the construction costs on these two phases, as well.

On the West Bank, DOTD will open bids in December for the Multi-Use Levee Path Phase 3 from the Davis Pond Diversion to the Jefferson Parish line, with construction to begin soon thereafter.

The parish also submitted grant applications for two additional phases of the path through the communities of Hahnville and Killona that will end at the St. John Parish line. Though neither was selected by the state for funding, the parish will reapply when the application period reopens in 2013.