BATON ROUGE — The Downtown Development District cut the ribbon on phase two of the River Road Levee Trail Extension on Monday afternoon.

The project adds about a quarter mile of walking and biking path, connecting riverfront residents to the downtown greenway and businesses.

"This phase of the levee trail connects these residents that have previously been disconnected to downtown," said Whitney Hoffman Sayal, executive director of the Downtown Development District.

Downtown business owners said they have looked forward to the extension for a while.

"To have the city and the state make this kind of investment is huge," said Charles Daniel, owner of Geaux Ride.

The project fits into a larger billion-dollar effort to revitalize downtown. A plan called Plan Baton Rouge III outlines 80 other recommendations for improvements, including better connections to the Mississippi Riverfront and more pedestrian-friendly spaces.

"We continue to progress," Hoffman Sayal said. "Plan Baton Rouge III does talk about connecting to the riverfront, so we are aligning there."

The plan, approved by the Metro Council Planning Commission in June, calls for major investments over the next decade, including new housing, transit and a possible riverfront sports complex.

Baton Rouge resident Daarrion Finley spends a lot of time along the levee and supports making downtown more walkable and accessible.

"The peace of mind just sitting at the levee and enjoying yourself and clearing your thoughts," Finley said. "Building a community where people can enjoy things together."

Downtown leaders hope the connections being made through projects like this one make the river a bigger part of daily life in the capital city.