St. Tammany News

Joggers and bicycle riders in Oak Harbor and around Slidell now have a safe place to practice their sports. Parish officials and Oak Harbor residents cut the ribbon Friday on the second phase of a bike path that winds along the levee in Oak Harbor and will eventually go all the way to Pontchartrain Drive.

The path is currently about a mile and quarter and extends from Grand Champions Drive to The Moorings subdivision along Oak Harbor Drive.

Oak Harbor residents, Kevin Chimento and his daughter, Toni stand at the foot of the newest section of the biking and jogger path that winds through Oak Harbor along the levee. Eventually, the path will continue west to connect up with the Tammany Trace. (Staff Photos by Erik Sanzenbach)

The path was the brainchild of board members of the Oak Harbor Property Owners Association and has been in the works for the past three years.

Board member Bob Beck said a lot of residents ride bikes and jog along Oak Harbor Drive, and he said the idea of the path was a safety issue.

"Even with the police out here, cars still speed down the road.

We wanted to make it safe for bikers and joggers," Beck said.

He added the path has another advantage. Putting the concrete sidewalk along the top of the levees strengthens the structure in case of another flood.

So far, the path has cost $123,000, said Parish Councilman Jerry Binder, who represents Oak Harbor in District 12.

"We used impact fees for the district and parish capital improvement funds," Binder said.

The contract for the path was given to STRANCO.

'We wanted to make a safe place for recreation," Binder said.

That is what Toni Chimento hopes for. She is disabled and has to use a wheelchair. As a resident of Oak Harbor, she can't get around her neighborhood much because of the traffic.

"I usually go out in the evening when it is safer," Chimento said.

Her father, Kevin Chimento, said with the path, Toni can see more of her neighborhood.

"Now she can see all her neighbors during the day," said Chimento. "It will bring all the subdivisions together."

Oak Harbor is not finished with the path yet and wants to expand it. On the east end, plans call for the path to go from Grand Champions to the Exxon gas station near Interstate 10, down to Marina Drive and Lake Pontchartrain.

Phase four of the project will start at The Moorings to Pontchartrain Drive, then eventually hook up to the Tammany Trace bike path.

Beck said he is talking with Slidell Mayor Ben Morris in hopes the city will donate a strip along Pontchartrain Drive starting from Oak Harbor Drive to Spartan Drive in order to connect with the Tammany Trace.

Binder said the parish is looking for more money to finish the bike path.

Parish President Kevin Davis added there are also plans to widen U.S. Highway 11 with a median that will have a bike path.

"When all this is finished, you can walk or bike for miles," Davis said.