Funding to complete a gap in the D&L Trail in Whitehall Township received a boost Wednesday as the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study presented a check for $1.8 million.
The money comes via the Carbon Reduction Program, which was established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to reduce transportation-related carbon emissions by advancing transportation alternatives, such as bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, promoting sustainable and green infrastructure and implementing systems that reduce the impacts of freight movement.
The funding will be used specifically to construct a more than 1-mile path from Wood Street to Race Street in Whitehall.
It is part of the $43 million project that will extend the D&L Trail alongside Riverside Drive from Furnace Street in Allentown to Wood Street in Whitehall. In addition to the CRP money, the full project is funded by a $21.2 million federal grant, secured by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, and an additional $20 million from the Waterfront Development Corp.
When completed, Riverside Drive will run from Hamilton Street in Allentown, along the Lehigh River and into Whitehall.
The project is expected to be completed in 2029.
