A federal grant has been awarded to construct a second leg of a paved multi-use/bike trail connecting the Southwest Valley to the Red Rock National Conservation Area.
The 5.2-mile trail will connect the intersection of Hualapai Way and Blue Diamond Road to the town of Blue Diamond. The 12-foot-wide paved multi-use path is expected to parallel Blue Diamond Road. Construction is expected to begin in 2025 and take less than one year to complete.
“This new trail will give residents and visitors a safer way to enjoy the scenic Red Rock area,” Commissioner Justin Jones said. “It is exciting to see the plans for a regional network of trails coming to fruition.”
This trail is part of the larger planned Red Rock Legacy Trails, which is envisioned to connect the entire Red Rock area from Charleston Boulevard in the north to Blue Diamond Road in the south.
In February, the County Commission approved a funding plan for a 5.5-mile section of the northern part of the trail that will connect Sky Vista Drive in Summerlin to the Red Rock Visitors Center. Construction on this section is expected to begin in late 2021 and take about one year to complete.
Both trail sections are primarily being funded by grants from the Federal Highway Administration intended to expand access to federal lands.
The Summerlin-to-Visitors Center part of the trail will be paid for with an $11.7 million federal grant that was awarded to the Save Red Rock group, plus $2.93 million from the Nevada Department of Transportation and $605,000 from Clark County.
The trail that will largely be along Blue Diamond Road is expected to cost $11.4 million, with $8.5 million coming from a federal grant and the remaining funding coming from the County and other sources.