Chilkoot Indian Association (CIA) is adding a trail spanning East and West Fair Drive to offer an alternative to biking or walking along the highway.

The section of Haines Highway between the Y intersection and the school was identified as a safety concern in a study CIA commissioned, tribal administrator Harriet Brouillette said.

“We thought the state was going to put in a wider bike path so that section would be safer for kids riding bikes to school,” she said. However, when the state redid the section of highway, it went in without additional space for bikers and pedestrians, so CIA decided to move forward on its own.

Work on the CIA trail began earlier this month, and Brouillette estimates it will be completed by early winter. The project is funded with federal highway dollars.