Suffolk will begin accepting bids and proposals from companies Aug. 7 to construct a trail at Bennett’s Creek Park later this year.

A trail will be added around the park to increase safety during peak attendance as well as safety when walking to the park from surrounding neighborhoods.

“There are a lot of people that walk into there from the neighborhood, and they have to walk on the road with traffic,” said Parks and Recreation Principal Planner Mike Kelly. “We have seen attendance rise dramatically as the neighborhood has grown.”

The first phase of the project will include the construction of a 10-foot-wide path along the park drive from the entrance to the beginning of the loop road.

“We have designed the first part of the path, and it will be adjacent to the main road and looping toward the boat ramp,” Kelly said. “We have designed it, and now we wait to get proposals by the end of the month.”

After the asphalt has been put down, a wooden fence and some trees will be added to the new trail.

The project will be quick from start to finish, with the weather permitting. Once it is started, the project is anticipated to take 90 days.

“It usually takes 90 days to build, but it might be a little longer,” Kelly said. “They just dig out the dirt and lay down the gravel before pouring the asphalt.”

Problems can arise if there are storms before gravel is put down, as the ground can become a hazard due to mud.

The park should be completely functional during the construction, but there will be safety fences and ropes to block off the immediate construction area.

Construction should start in the winter and be completed early next year for people to use, Kelly said.

“If we can have a firm give us a good price and get everything going, we can get this done quickly,” Kelly said.