The groundbreaking for the Michigan portion of the Marquette Greenway took place on Wednesday, April 3.

The Marquette Greenway is a multi-state trail planned from Chicago to New Buffalo.

It has been in the works for more than a decade and has taken a lot of coordination to see the idea come to life.

WSJM reports work began on Wednesday on Phase One of the Michigan section which will be along US-12 from New Buffalo down to the entrance to Grand Beach.

Phase Two will go from Grand Beach to the Indiana stateline. Funding for both phases has come from several sources, much coming from grant programs and donations.

Wednesday’s groundbreaking will be at the Michigan trailhead in downtown New Buffalo where several state lawmakers, county commissioners and non-profit representatives will be present