Dallas has secured $7.5 million in federal funding to complete major segments of the Cotton Belt Trail, a 26-mile path stretching from Plano to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

Council Member Cara Mendelsohn (District 12) announced the funding on July 1, citing support from the Regional Transportation Council.

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The city has secured a total of $7.5 million in federal funding for this project, according to Fox 4 KDFW. This will fund the final segment of the Cotton Belt Trail and “the missing link” for the Marni Karner Trail, Mendelsohn said in the release. 

The trail will run alongside the Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s new Silver Line commuter train, and will “ultimately” link to Tarrant County and Fort Worth. 

“We were told each city along the Silver Line would have to fund its portion of the trail project, but we worked together to get funding,” Mendelsohn said in the release.

“Despite challenges with rail construction, the trail will be a treasure for residents and commuters alike,” the release reads. 

The expanded trail network will form a four-mile loop, dubbed the “North Dallas Triangle,” that links the Preston Ridge, Cotton Belt, and Marni Kaner Trails. The system is expected to improve access to nearby parks and trailheads, including Preston Green, Campbell Green, and the new Davenport Trailhead.

This new funding will save the city nearly $7 million, according to Mendelsohn. She called the project “a vision years in the making.”

The Dallas Express reached out to Council Member Mendelsohn for additional comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.