The city has been awarded a $500,000 grant to build the long-discussed Burroughs Creek Rail Trail through eastern Lawrence.

But now, city commissioners must decide whether the city can afford the more than $350,000 in local funds that will be required to match the Kansas Department of Transportation grant.

The project consists of a 10-foot-wide, concrete walking and biking trail between 11th and 23rd streets along an abandoned railroad corridor just west of Haskell Avenue.

The city has estimated its share of construction costs at $345,900, but that does not include property acquisition costs. An estimate on those costs hasn’t been finalized. Commissioners likely will discuss the project as part of their 2009 budget deliberations this summer.