LEESVILLE, La.--The City of Leesville will commence next week with the first phase of a project to construct an interconnected sidewalk path, weather permitting.

Pat Williams Construction, Inc., which was awarded the bid for the project, will construct the portion of the path to connect Vernon Middle School on Nona Street in the City of Leesville to the south-bound lane of U.S. Highway 171. Cost of the first phase, according to the base bid submitted by Pat Williams Construction, Inc., will be $82,573.The Leesville City Council authorized Mayor Robert Rose to accept the quote in its regular session March

10.

"It's exciting to see the plans of so many begin to come to fruition," said Mayor Rose. "Many people helped secure the $15,000 grant that will help pay for a portion of this important project, including members of the Leesville City Council, Senator John R. Smith and Representative James K. Armes III. We all envision a day when Leesville becomes a city that is accommodating and friendly to all of its traffic, including pedestrians and bicyclists."

The City also applied for funding last fall from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development through its Safe Routes to School program for a sidewalk connecting East Leesville Elementary to Leesville Junior High School.

The sidewalk project is part of an overall effort to provide better safety for pedestrians and bicyclists in the City and to provide a means for students to easily walk or bike to and from school, which would not only increase the physical health of students, but would also provide a higher quality of life and safety for the students and citizens of the City of Leesville.