The City of Dover has completed the latest phase of its community trail expansion, the city announced Saturday, adding that the trail is now open for public use.

The latest upgrade connects more than four miles of multi-purpose pedestrian pathways from Route 108 and Central Avenue at Rutland Street through the Dover Transportation Center and north to Watson Road via the downtown connection on Chestnut Street and Fourth Street, per the city.

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The trail improvements are expected to encourage more use and link the middle and high schools to downtown and northern parts of Dover, according to City Planner Donna Benton, who serves as the staff liaison for the trail.

"The community has been looking forward to the Community Trail expansion for years and is excited to see its completion," Benton said in a statement. "It is a Dover gem to both residents and visitors alike."

The City of Dover received a Transportation Alternative Project (TAP) grant in 2015 from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation to fund Phase 3 expansion.

The city is currently exploring the potential of a Phase 4 expansion that would connect Bellamy Road to Knox Marsh Road and Route 155 and be linked to the Central Avenue trailhead by pathways nearby the middle and high schools as well as Route 108 and Durham Road.

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