Final Link of Razorback Regional Greenway Breaks Ground in Lowell

By Brad Phillips

Vice President, Marketing and Communications

Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce

 Officials from Lowell and throughout Northwest Arkansas gathered in May to break ground on a new section of the Razorback Regional Greenway to go under construction soon. The section will run 2.6 miles through Lowell and a trailhead built just south of St. Anthony’s On the Creek in Lowell.  The construction contract for that section of the trail and the trailhead is six months, meaning work will be completed before end of year. It’s the last section of the greenway to go under contract.

36 Miles of Greenway Linking Northwest Arkansas Trails
The Razorback Regional Greenway is the spine of Northwest Arkansas' growing trails system. The greenway will cover 36 miles, stretching from Lake Bella Vista in a northern area of Bentonville to south Fayetteville. The trail links together dozens of popular community destinations including six downtown areas, three major hospitals, 23 schools, the University of Arkansas, corporate headquarters of Walmart, J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. and Tyson Foods, Inc. with arts and entertainment venues, shopping areas, historic sites, parks, playgrounds and residential communities.

Healthier, More Active Lifestyles
 “The greenway continues to transform communities in Northwest Arkansas, and I’m excited to see the trail progress in Lowell. This section is a crucial link in the regional trail,” said Misty Murphy, Regional Trails Coordinator for the Northwest Arkansas Council. “The greenway offers opportunities for transportation, recreation, and new adventures for Northwest Arkansas residents. "It has been adopted by our community just at lightning speed," she says. "You see so many groups from kids all the way up to retirees, that are riding and walking and biking around Northwest Arkansas. It's becoming a way of life for people to have healthier, more active lifestyles."

John McLarty, Assistant Director of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, told those gathered at May's ceremony that the trail will be within a half mile of about 75,000 Northwest Arkansas residents’ homes. Another 80,000 people in Benton and Washington counties will work less than a half mile from the trail.  Several cities along the route have already completed or are planning to build spurs and access points to key locations.