The Covington City Council reaffirmed its support Monday night for the "Library to Eastside Trail," a project that’s been budgeted for at least the past five years, City Manager Steve Horton said.

The three-mile trail will eventually span from the Covington Branch Library to Eastside High School and the Alcovy River, passing through Chimney Park, along Martin Street and underneath the ByPass Road via a pedestrian tunnel.

According to county documents, the total cost of the trail is expected to be $1.25 million. The majority of the money has been secured through various grants, assuming local matches are paid. The city has budgeted $225,000 for the project for the past several years, as a match for a previous $700,000 Transportation Enhancement grant.

County Special Projects Coordinator Cheryl Delk appeared before the council to update them on the trails’ progress and ask them to reapprove the funding.

She assured them that construction would start on the trail, despite delays in previous years. She said the county was committed and pointed to the $515,472 the county has paid to the consultant Street Smarts to design this trail and another trail during the past three years.

The council unanimously approved the funding, and will pay $114,000 worth of invoices for work that has already been completed. The $111,000 remainder will be paid as new invoices come in. Delk said construction is expected to start in early 2011. The county is finishing negotiations to purchase various easements for the project.

According to a project outline, the trail is expected to connect about 2,000 residences to the library, downtown, Eastside and the Alcovy River Greenway.