Plans for the Bayou Bartholomew Water Trail as an outdoor tourism destination at Pine Bluff were outlined recently at the Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce banquet.
Construction on the $16.2 million project is expected to begin later this year. Bill Jones, CEO of Sissy’s Log Cabin and a commissioner with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said Phase I of the project should be completed in 2026. Phase I includes building access points and landings along the 364-mile waterway from Pine Bluff to Sterlington, Louisiana.
Phase II will add a bike trail and additional kayak access, and Phase III includes construction of a nature center behind Southwood Elementary School.
Funding for the project is coming from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the city of Pine Bluff and Saracen Casino Resort. Jones said the whole project is expected to take three to five years to complete.
“Something like this is much more difficult than you think because of all the permits you’ve got to get,” Jones said. “You’ve got to pull the money together, get the designs together, and get the county and city memorandums of understanding. It’s a lot to it, but it’s fully moving now.”
