A hike along the banks of the Kansas River soon will get quite a bit easier.

Lawrence City Hall has won a major grant to build an approximately half-mile long trail between Constant Park near Sixth and Tennessee streets and Burcham Park near Second and Indiana streets.

“Basically the trail has been there for a long time, but it has just been a dirt walking path,” said Mark Hecker, the city’s assistant director of parks and recreation. “This will allow us to make it much nicer. It will attract a lot more users after we are done.”

The city was awarded a $53,000 grant from the private Sunflower Foundation. The city will spend an equal amount of money to complete the project. Hecker said he hopes work on the trail, which will be a mix of concrete and either crushed asphalt or crushed limestone, could begin later this fall. The trail should be open by the summer.

“It really is a cool area down along the river,” Hecker said. “It will be like having a lakeside walking path.”

Hecker said the trail will be about 20 to 30 feet from the water in most cases, and there will be several areas where hikers will have direct access to the water to fish or just view the river up close.

The trail will connect with another recently completed trail, the Outside for a Better Inside Trail that circles the large pond that was part of the former VFW property. That property has been donated to the city by the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, and is being converted into the city’s newest park — the Sandra J. Shaw Community Health Park.

Hecker said a crew of volunteers from Westar Energy have completed a gazebo at the new park, and city crews will be making improvements to the parking lot soon. He said the city also is considering building a fishing pier to provide easier access to the pond.

The city plans a dedication ceremony for the new park at 10 a.m. Oct. 18 at the park, which is near Second and Alabama streets. The nonprofit group Outside for a Better Inside is planning to have an outdoor fun day that includes fishing and other activities following the dedication.