Gov. Don Siegelman has awarded a $39,612 grant to the City of Demopolis for the construction of an all-purpose trail at the Demopolis SportsPlex.

Siegelman notified Mayor Austin Caldwell that the grant has been approved for the paving and improvement of the 5,474-foot-long trail. The 10-foot-wide trail will be used for walking, bicycling and skating.

The trail, which will encircle the 299-acre park off U.S. Highway 43, will be open from dawn to dusk. It is expected to serve about 32,000 people in an area that includes parts of Marengo, Sumter, Greene and Hale counties.

The city will provide a match of $7,215 in cash, equipment and donated labor.

Siegelman awarded the grant from funds made available to the state through the Recreational Trails Program of the Federal Highway Administration. He has designated the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) to administer the grant.