The Board of Mayor and Aldermen has taken another step toward building an alternate route to Halls Ferry Park.

The board Wednesday authorized City Clerk Walter Osborne to advertise for bids to build what is being called the “Halls Ferry Park Road Extension.” In August, the board approved a $14,000 contract with Allen & Hoshall Engineers of Jackson to design the project.

Presently, the dead-end road intersects with Halls Ferry Road and runs between Chick-fil-A on the road’s north side and Starbuck’s Coffee. Under the project, the road will be extended from its intersection with Halls Ferry Road to the park.

City officials acquired the right of way to extend the road, which is south of the Halls Ferry/Pemberton Square Boulevard intersection. Under the agreement with the city, the engineers will design an asphalt road to the park and also enlarge the entrance to Fire Station Number 8.

South Ward Alderman Alex Monsour, who is over the city’s recreation department, said when the city hired the engineers that the extension will intersect with Halls Ferry Park Road at the site of the park’s pickleball courts to provide more access to facilities.

Presently, people can enter Halls Ferry Park either at the intersection of Halls Ferry Park Road and South Frontage Road or a one-way street off South Frontage Road that leads to Home Depot. Having a single exit from the park causes problems when several activities are going on at the park, officials said.