TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa residents will soon be able to walk, run, stroll and bike on the other side of the river downtown.

Mayor Jane Castor said Tuesday that the city is taking the next step to install the riverwalk on the westside of the Hillsborough River through and around downtown.

Castor said the next step is to find a team to design and build out the five-mile stretch of walkway. Castor said the project is slated to be done by the end of 2026.

The U.S. Department of Transportation approved a $24 million grant to partially fund the project, with funding secured by Representative Kathy Castor through the Federal Highway Administration's Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant Program.  

The additional trail will connect to more neighborhoods including West Tampa, Tampa Heights, Bayshore Boulevard, Hyde Park, Riverside Heights, North Franklin Street, and Bowman Heights. The trail will go from North Bayshore Boulevard, near the Platt Street bridge, and will have some over-water segments and living shorelines.

The project will also feature better sidewalks, bike lanes, and enhanced crossing features at major roadways to expand safer connections in neighborhoods that make up the West River area. Several schools are on the path, so this project will allow kids to walk to school more safely.

"This project is about more than just following the river, it's about connecting our neighborhoods and making them safer," Castor said. "We are thrilled to be able to transform the west side of the river and fill in the gaps. This project will make it safer and more fun for anyone who wants to come to downtown and experience the center of our city, the Hillsborough River.”