Construction has officially begun on the Bob Jones Pathway Connection Project, a long-awaited effort to build a new 4.5-mile paved path connecting the city of San Luis Obispo to the existing Bob Jones Trail in Avila Beach.
Segment One of the project kicked off on Tuesday, spanning from the Octagon Barn at Buckley Road to Clover Ridge Road. The first phase is funded by $10.5 million drawn from an $18 million state grant.
Helene Finger, president of Friends of the Bob Jones Trail, said she helped secure the state grant funding the project.
“This construction is going to allow a safe, parallel route for people walking and riding to no longer be on South Higuera,” Finger said.
The Bob Jones Trail currently runs 2.5 miles between Ontario Road and downtown Avila Beach. The new connection project will link that existing trail to San Luis Obispo with a multi-use path.
The project has faced decades of setbacks, including private property disputes and debates over eminent domain.
According to the San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department, Segment One is expected to take roughly 1.5 years to complete and may cause traffic delays on Higuera Street. Public Works officials said they will notify the community ahead of any potential disturbances.
Once Segment One is done, crews will begin Segment Two, extending the new path to the trailhead at Ontario Road.
Nipomo resident Pamela Nutter, who walks the Bob Jones Trail about once a week with her husband, said she welcomes the news.
“We’ve been waiting for that for years. I think it’s going to be fabulous,” Nutter said.
To take a look at the construction map, you can click here.