| Arkansas River Trail | |
|---|---|
| Location of the Arkansas River Trail | |
| Length | 14 miles (23 km) |
| Location | Pulaski County, Arkansas, USA |
| Trailheads | Little Rock, Arkansas North Little Rock, Arkansas |
| Use | Hiking, Cycling, Jogging |
| Elevation Change | negligible |
| Trail difficulty | Easy |
| Season | All |
| Sights | Arkansas River, Pinnacle Mountain, Big Rock, the Little Rock, William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park, The Medical Mile, the Big Dam Bridge, North Little Rock's Burns Park |
The Arkansas River Trail is a recreation rail trail that runs 17 miles (27 km) in along both sides of the Arkansas River in Central Arkansas. The trail is open for use by hikers, joggers, and cyclists year-round. The trail is made up of asphalt creating a hard flat surface.
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The Arkansas River Trail began with funding from a $1.9 million dollar bond issue from the City of Little Rock in 2003. Further fund raising spearheaded by trail organizer Terry Eastin and others has resulted in a trail that runs for approximately 14 miles (23 km) on both sides of the Arkansas River. When complete in the next few years the trail will run for a total of 24 miles (39 km) and include a loop from downtown Little Rock/North Little Rock on the east to the Big Dam Bridge on the west. There will also be a western link to Pinnacle Mountain State Park and the 225-mile (362 km) Ouachita National Recreation Trail beyond. The trail includes part of the former Little Rock and Western Railway right-of-way. Most of the right-of-way is still in use by the railroad and run adjacent to the trail but are not part of it.[1]
Both of these former railroad bridges have been converted into pedestrian and bicycling bridges. The Junction Bridge opened to the public on Saturday, May 20, 2008. The Clinton Presidential Park Bridge opened to the public on Sunday, October 2, 2011.[2] Both bridges connect the two cities riverfront parks and are accessed via stairs and elevators.
Renovation work on the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge began in May 2010.[3] The bridge, originally constructed in 1899 as a rail bridge named the Rock Island Bridge,[4] is the eastern pedestrian and bicycle connection for the River Trail.
Renovation work on the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge cost $10.5 million and was funded by a mix of funds including $4 million from the Clinton Foundation, $2.5 million of federal stimulus money, $2 million from the Commerce Department, $1 million from the city of Little Rock, and $750,000 from the city of North Little Rock.[5]
Of the three railroad spans in the downtown area one is still in use by the Union Pacific Railroad. There has been some wrangling over where to build a pedestrian/bicycle bridge and uncertainty whether the railroad would grant permission to do so. Union Pacific has given tentative approval to plans to build a small bridge near the Little Rock station also known as Union Station.