Discovery Trail linking Fort Worth, Dallas nears completion. Here’s what remains

North Texas is laying the foundation for a regional transportation system that could rival its freeway network — not with cars, but with cyclists and pedestrians at the center.

Just under 10 miles remain on a regional path connecting North Texas’ two biggest cities. The long-awaited bike and pedestrian trail linking Fort Worth and Dallas is on track to be substantially completed by 2026, according to the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

The DFW Discovery Trail, a project more than a decade in the making, will span roughly 63 miles once finished. Work on the final segments is underway or scheduled. Most of the remaining segments are less than 2 miles, with the exception of a 4.5-mile stretch that will link the Trinity Trails and River Legacy Trail in Arlington.

Once completed, the trail will create a continuous path through five cities: Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie and Irving.

Charles Devilver has been cycling his whole life and enjoys enjoys biking for recreation. He normally bikes around the Trinity Trails in Clearfork, at least three times a week to get his exercise.

“These trails aren’t very interrupted by cars and don’t get too full, which I love,” said Devilver.

Despite his love for cycling Devilver does not plan to cycle from downtown Fort Worth to downtown Dallas once the DFW Discovery is finished. “That’s quite a ways,” he said. “There are plenty of trails over here.”

Monica Henze is new to cycling and just started riding for her fitness and mental health with her husband, who is more experienced. Their recent ride on the Trinity Trails was actually their first time exploring it together.

“They’ve just expanded the trails to the Centerport train station, which is amazing,” said Henze. She and her husband look forward to the trails expansion since it would allow them to go farther distances.

Ethan Ryan, a sales associate at Bike Mart in Clearfork, says the shop’s location near the Trinity Trails makes the path’s growing popularity easy to see.

“Most customers just want to ride on the Trinity Trail,” he said. “It’s already long and getting longer — they’re even working on connecting it to Mansfield and Arlington, all the way to Dallas.”

DFW Discovery Trail segment updates

Here are the segments remaining on the DFW Discovery Trail:

Fort Worth: Trinity Lakes Trail, 4.5 miles connecting Trinity Trails to River Legacy Trail. Construction underway, expected completion in late 2025.

Fort Worth: CentrePort Station Trail, 1.63 miles from CentrePort to Irving city limits. Construction expected to start in 2026 and be completed in early 2027.

Grand Prairie: Rock Island Trail, 1.6 miles from Fort Worth city limits to West Irving Station. No timeline for construction.

Grand Prairie: Trinity Boulevard/Roy Orr Trail, 1.81 miles from CentrePort Station Trail to existing Mike Lewis Trail. Construction expected to start in December and be completed by early 2028.

Irving: Rock Island Trail, 1.07 miles, connecting Rock Island Trail to Centennial Park Trail. No timeline for construction.

Irving: Stenter Road pedestrian crossing. No timeline for construction.

Dallas: Interstate 35E underpass. Construction expected to start and be completed in 2027.

A bigger vision for regional trails

The Regional Transportation Council on June 12 allocated $59.6 million in federal grants to support a dozen active transportation initiatives.

Along with $14.4 million in local funding, the $74 million investment through the 2025 Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program will fund bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.

Here are the projects in Tarrant County:

Crowley: A shared use path from Crowley Road to Bicentennial Park.

Fort Worth: New paths, a bridge and traffic signal improvements along Summer Creek Drive, from West Risinger Road to Sunflower Ridge Road and along McPherson Boulevard, from Chisholm Trail Parkway to South Hulen Street; along South Hulen Street, from Nightingdale Drive to McPherson Boulevard.

Richland Hills: New sidewalks and intersection improvements for safe routes to Cheney Hills Elementary.

This story was originally published June 23, 2025 at 1:50 PM.