Covington officials are continually working on making the city more walkable, and people will soon be able to travel on paved paths — sidewalks and crosswalks — all the way from the Turner Lake Complex to Eastside High School, approximately a 4-mile trip.

The Covington City Council voted Monday to add sidewalks to the portion of Clark Street from the Clark’s Grove neighborhood to the roundabout at Turner Lake Road.

The project will also widen and repave Clark Street from Carroll Street to Turner Lake Road — including paving over the unused railroad tracks — and add curbs and gutters and bike lanes.

The project is a joint city-state project, with the city paying $102,922 out of 2005 SPLOST funds, while federal funding allotted through the state will cover $292,000 of the total $394,922 project.

New Transportation Director Terry Savage, who was promoted to replace retiring director Billy Skinner, said he expects work to begin in February or early March.

It is expected to take approximately six months to complete, according to engineer Bret Thurmond with the firm Armentrout, Matheny, Thurmond, which bid out the project.

The project will be delayed slightly, because the city’s bid originally overstated the amount of concrete that would be needed.

The correction has been made, but Savage said the project likely won’t start until February or later because the Georgia Department of Transportation — which is disbursing the federal funds — has to sign off on the correction and that process takes time.

When the Clark’s Grove neighborhood was developed, sidewalks were installed on both sides of Clark Street, but the sidewalks didn’t extend all the way to the roundabout, which included a pedestrian tunnel under Turner Lake Road to connect into the park.

Deputy City Manager Billy Bouchillon said the city has been working on connecting areas of the city to important sites, including the Turner Lake Complex, Covington Branch Library and Eastside High School, since at least 2000.