MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Meridian Township will begin construction on a new project that will be exciting news for pedestrians and bicyclists traveling along Mount Hope Rd.

The project will be a 7 foot wide pedestrian bicycle pathway on the south side of Mount Hope extending from Maumee Drive to Okemos Road.

The ultimate goal of the Township is to create connectivity and close all the gaps between the pathways, so that pedestrians are safer while traveling along roadways.

The stretch where the pathway will be built is the only gap preventing an uninterrupted pathway between Okemos Road to Hagadorn Road, so upon completion of the project, pedestrians will be able to safely travel between the two roads without the danger of interrupting the flow of traffic.

A challenge that the Township faces with a project like this is people who live in the area may see the pathway as an encroachment in their yards so easements, or rights to cross the owners' land, must be obtained before construction can begin, according to Meridian Township's Chief Engineer Younes Ishraidi.

After easements and a right away permit from the Ingham County Road Department are gained, the Township hopes to begin construction of the pathway in early summer and wrap it up by fall.

There is a possibility of a one lane road closure during the construction period, but only during working hours.