Walkers, joggers and bikers will have a little more to enjoy as the city begins construction to extend the Northern Tier Trail.

The trail has been a prominent feature in the city for about seven years, and runs north to south along the west side of Abbott Road for four miles. It will be extended an additional mile north of the East Lansing Soccer Complex, ending just south of State Road.

The plan to extend the trail has been in the works for more than five years, said Tim McCaffrey, director of the East Lansing Department of Parks, Recreation and Arts.

"Most people are pleased that we're adding another section of trail," McCaffrey said. "The trail seems to probably be one of the most popular amenities we have in the parks and rec system, and there's a lot of people who use the trail for various purposes."

The department applied for a grant through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, or DNR, to expand the trail in 2004 and received the grant 2005, said Wendy Longpre, assistant director of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Arts. She added that when applying for the grant, the city had to select a specific project it wanted to complete and include its development plans.

"We've been working on the project for a while," Longpre said. "Expanding the trail is one of our priorities for parks and recreation development in the city."

She said the city estimates the project will cost about $210,000, adding that the grant from the DNR will cover about 44 percent of the project costs — or $92,400. The remainder of the funding for the project will come from the city's general fund, she said.

Some initial steps in the expansion of the trail began about a year ago, Longpre said, and added the main part of the construction should be completed in September.

McCaffrey said city officials hope to continue expanding the trail, but added that the city does not yet have any formal plans to do so.

"We hope to connect with communities in the Northern Tier, and we hope as the trail goes south, it will more formally connect to the Michigan State University campus," McCaffrey said.

He also said the trail will probably connect to the campus through bike routes on paved roads and sidewalks, since less land is available close to the downtown area for formal trails.

Longpre said the department also plans to expand the trail to connect parks and neighborhoods in the city.

She said she has received positive responses about the expansion, and residents have seemed excited.

"People have been calling and saying, 'When is it going to be done?' and 'When can we use it?'" Longpre said.

History senior Jeff Kushner went in-line skating on the trail Tuesday afternoon. He said he uses the trail about once a week and came out to see how far the trail extended.

"It's going to be great," Kushner said. "I really like it back here. It's a nice place for people to get away in seclusion."