The city of Plano will make another run at closing a key gap in one of its major recreational trails through the Legacy business area.

Plano City Council on Oct. 28 approved a nearly 14% increase in the funding allotted in 2017 for the land purchase and construction of the Legacy Trail extension. The additional funding brings the project cost to roughly $3.3 million.

Plano Parks and Recreation Director Robin Reeves said in a written statement before the council meeting that work to connect the trail would "move quickly" and likely be completed early next year.

The new trail would link two long but unconnected stretches of trail where there is currently a gap southwest of where Legacy Drive meets Preston Road.

But after the city approved funding for the project in 2017, the city ran into another delay, Reeves said.

“The primary issue has been a major utility that was discovered on the adjacent property to the north,” Reeves said. “This created the need to adjust the location of the bridge and reengineer the bridge that connects to the trail on the adjacent property.”

Prior to the original funding approval, the city had for years negotiated with the property owner, JBL Properties. The company had been reluctant to allow the trail’s construction, according to a memo prepared in 2017 by city staff. The memo said the two parties were moving forward after the city agreed to let the property owner oversee the trail’s design and construction.