The existing bike trail through Ceres will be extended all the way to Service Road since the Ceres City Council approved a contract with paving contractor George Reed, Inc., on Monday.

The contract for $1.38 million is the fourth phase of the Ceres Main Canal Bike & Pedestrian Path that will complete the construction from Roeding Road to Service Road.

Once complete, the bike path will allow bicyclists and pedestrian to travel all the way from Service Road east of Mitchell Road all the way to Richland Avenue at Hatch Road without the fear of conflicting with cars and trucks.

Ultimately the city plans to extend the bike path all the way to the highway frontage road, said City Manager Toby Wells.

The majority of the funding comes from a Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) grant intended to promote non-motorized forms of transportation and reduce air pollution. The rest comes from Public Facility Fees paid by developers who have passed those costs onto people who buy their houses.