NEWPORT — New Castle County has been awarded a $23 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure With Sustainability and Equity grant to expand the Jack A. Markell Trail into Newport, County Executive Matt Meyer announced Wednesday.

The connection will give nonmotorized transportation access between Newport, the Wilmington Riverfront and New Castle.

The segment will also form part of the proposed 16-mile Wilmington Loop and part of a connection between Wilmington and Newark. The trail will provide hundreds of thousands of residents new access to parks, open space, rivers and wildlife areas.

These discretionary grants allow state and local governments to complete freight and passenger transportation infrastructure projects. The requirements allow sponsors to obtain funding for initiatives that are harder to support through other U.S. Department of Transportation grant programs.

A final design for the trail expansion is expected by the end of the year.