A new 0.8-mile stretch of the Metropolitan Branch Trail has been completed, offering cyclists and pedestrians a new dedicated connection between Brookland and Fort Totten.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser celebrated the $12.9 million, three-year project’s completion over the weekend, saying it would help residents and visitors get around without needing a car. “As we continue investing in a multi-modal city that is more sustainable and less reliant on cars, we know that spaces like these will play a critical role in our transportation network,” she said.

Construction first started on the MBT in the late 1990s, seeking to connect Union Station to Silver Spring with a dedicated trail largely following rail tracks as they head north out of the city. The trail ended at Catholic University until recently, forcing cyclists to ride up a steep hill past the Fort Totten Trash Transfer Station (it was lovingly known as “Big Stinky”) and merge onto city streets to continue the trip north.

The new segment extends the MBT alongside the Metro and CSX train tracks to the Fort Totten Metro station, sparing cyclists and pedestrians a trip up Big Stinky. The project, which was partially paid for with federal funds, required the cooperation of D.C., WMATA, and the National Park Service. The next segment heading northwards to Takoma may be similarly tricky: proposed designs plan to take the MBT along Blair Road NW. Construction is set to start in 2023.

There is one existing gap in the trail, from Franklin Street NE to Monroe Street NE, where cyclists are funneled onto Eighth Street NE for a half-mile. Last year D.C. officials shelved plans to build a protected bike lane along that stretch of road after some local businesses expressed their opposition.

Currently some 1,500 people use the MBT on a daily basis.