Lexington receives $3.7 million in federal funding to extend Town Branch Trail

Lexington has secured federal funding to extend the Town Branch Trail, Mayor Linda Gorton said Thursday, adding a new stretch intended to improve walkability and connectivity along the city’s trail network.

In remarks reported by WKYT, Gorton said Lexington received $3.7 million through the federal Transportation Alternatives Program. The money is earmarked for extending the Town Branch Trail from the Fire Training Academy on Old Frankfort Pike to Bizzell Drive.

The Town Branch Trail is a key part of Lexington’s active transportation infrastructure, and the planned extension would connect an area near the city’s public safety training facilities with neighborhoods and destinations closer to Bizzell Drive, according to the reported project description.

The Transportation Alternatives Program is a federal funding stream that supports non-motorized transportation projects such as pedestrian and bicycle facilities, as well as related improvements. The award announced for Lexington would apply that funding to a specific trail segment within the city.

Gorton’s statement indicated the award would allow the city to move forward with the proposed extension work, using the federal dollars to support construction of the new trail reach between the named endpoints.

City officials did not provide additional timing details in the reported account, including when construction would begin or when the extension would be completed, but the allocation itself places the project within the city’s funding pipeline for federal-backed active transportation improvements.

For residents, the project’s practical impact would center on creating a continuous off-road corridor for walking and bicycling along the Town Branch Trail, with the extension bridging locations identified by the city as endpoints near Old Frankfort Pike and Bizzell Drive.