The 65-mile trail connecting Little Rock to Hot Springs is advancing county by county, with new pavement on the ground and more on the way.
More than a decade after planning began, the Southwest Trail is becoming a real and growing presence in Central Arkansas. The 65-mile multi-use path, designed to connect the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site with Hot Springs National Park, is progressing in each of the three counties it traverses. The pace and stage of progress varies by county, but momentum has never been stronger. Here is the latest from Pulaski, Saline, and Garland counties.
Pulaski County: Pavement Down, More Phases Coming
Pulaski County broke ground on the Southwest Trail first, and it remains the most advanced of the three counties. Phase One, a 4.3-mile segment running from the Saline County line north to Hilaro Springs Road along the old Rock Island railroad corridor, opened in April 2025 with a ribbon cutting near Iron Horse Church on Chicot Road. Built mostly flat and straight through wooded areas and wetlands, the trail is paved and open to cyclists, runners, and walkers.
The next segment, from Hilaro Springs Road to Baseline Road, has been engineered and approved. It is expected to go out for bid in spring 2026, with construction beginning shortly after. A major bridge on that stretch was already built through a separate grant and will be installed when construction begins. Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde said he hopes to see that section finished by the end of 2026.
Additional phases are also on the schedule. A segment from Baseline Road to 65th Street is expected to begin construction in summer 2026, and work from Central High School to the Arkansas State Fairgrounds is expected to start around the same time. The remaining section between 65th Street and the Fairgrounds is in design, with construction targeted for early 2027. Hyde has confirmed that the entire Pulaski County portion, from the Saline County line all the way to Central High School, is fully funded through a combination of federal grants administered by the Arkansas Department of Transportation and Metroplan.
One political note worth watching: Hyde, who has championed the Southwest Trail throughout his 12-year tenure as county judge, lost the Democratic primary in March 2026 to Wendell Griffen, a former circuit judge and pastor. Griffen has stated publicly that he supports completing both the Southwest Trail and the Southeast Trail. Republican candidate Michael Rushin is also on the November ballot. Both trails remain fully funded and active regardless of the election outcome. (more)
Saline County: First Segment Finished, More in the Pipeline
Saline County has the longest stretch of the Southwest Trail within its borders, with 26.1 miles planned to pass through the county connecting communities including Shannon Hills, Bryant, Bauxite, and Benton. Construction on the county’s first segment began officially with a May 2025 groundbreaking near Mabelvale.
That first segment, known as Segment S8A, runs approximately two miles from the Pulaski County line to Germania Road near Alexander. It is now complete and ready to open, joining the existing Pulaski County section to create roughly six continuous miles of trail for walkers, cyclists, and runners.
Construction was not without setbacks. In May 2025, an act of vandalism caused approximately $680,000 in damage to construction equipment on the job site. Two machines were totaled when equipment was pushed into a creek over Memorial Day weekend. Saline County Sheriff’s Office investigators arrested Clint Guthrie, a former employee of the construction company James A. Rogers Excavating, in connection with the incident. Crews resumed work and pushed through to completion.
Saline County Judge Matt Brumley said the county is simultaneously advancing design and engineering work on multiple additional segments, including sections extending toward the Garland County line. One of the more complex engineering challenges ahead involves safely crossing Highway 67. Engineers are evaluating grade-separated crossing options similar to those used on the Razorback Regional Greenway in Northwest Arkansas. Brumley said pedestrian-activated flashing signals are expected at higher-traffic road crossings throughout the corridor.
A future highlight of the Saline County section will be the historic Old River Bridge in Benton, which was restored and reopened in 2025 after being closed for 51 years. The bridge is expected to become a signature feature of the trail as construction extends south through the county. (more)
Garland County: Planning and Design Underway, Construction Years Away
Garland County is the westernmost section of the Southwest Trail and the one farthest from breaking ground on new pavement. However, significant planning and design work is actively underway, and the county is no longer simply waiting.
The City of Hot Springs is responsible for building the trail through city limits, while Garland County will handle the corridor from the city boundary east toward Saline County. According to Hot Springs City Engineer Gary Carnahan, the trail is planned to enter downtown near the historic transportation depot and Convention Boulevard, providing a gateway connection to Hot Springs National Park and Bathhouse Row.
Current federal funding schedules point to construction beginning around 2028 for the first segment within Hot Springs. On the county side, Garland County has funding in hand for a segment extending from the city limits east toward the MLK Bypass area. Design work on that segment is complete and right-of-way acquisition is underway. A second grant has also reportedly been secured to continue the alignment farther east toward Saline County.
The Arkansas Department of Transportation’s program management list currently describes the Garland County project as “Southwest Trail Design,” which indicates the project is programmed and advancing through engineering and funding preparation even though visible ground-level construction has not started.
Garland County and the City of Hot Springs continue to develop local trail systems that will eventually serve as feeders into the regional Southwest Trail network, including the Hot Springs Creek Greenway and Stokes Creek Greenway. Those connections will matter when the full corridor finally links up from downtown Little Rock to downtown Hot Springs. (more)
Ribbon Cutting: Celebrate Saline County’s First Completed Segment
Friday, May 29, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.
Saline County Judge Matt Brumley invites the community to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for Saline County’s first completed segment of the Southwest Trail. The ceremony marks a significant milestone for the project and for the future of regional recreation, connectivity, and tourism across Central Arkansas.
Parking for the event will be at Vimy Ridge Immanuel Baptist Church, located at 12214 Germania Rd., Alexander, AR 72002. Parking is limited, so carpooling is strongly encouraged. Shuttle transportation will be available from the parking area to the ribbon cutting location.
This will be the first time the public can travel continuously from Pulaski County into Saline County on a paved, off-street trail. Come out to celebrate and be among the first to walk or ride across this new section of one of the most ambitious trail projects in Arkansas history.
The Southwest Trail is a collaborative project between Pulaski, Saline, and Garland counties, supported by a Federal Lands Access Program grant, Metroplan, the Arkansas Department of Transportation, and local city governments. You can see all of the proposed sections on this interactive map of the Southwest Trail.
This article was originally published on ArkansasOutside.com, your trusted source for outdoor news and updates in The Natural State. Unless otherwise credited, all photos included in this piece are the property of Arkansas Outside, LLC. We take pride in sharing the beauty and adventures of Arkansas through our lens—thank you for supporting our work!
