So far, the town has received about $3.7 million in extra federal funding.

Of that, $300,000 will go toward building the Morgan Creek Trail, which will connect Southern Village's Fan Branch Trail westward to Smith Level Road and eastward to Merritt Pasture. The trail will traverse the town's 92-acre Morgan Creek Preserve. The total cost of the project is $1.2 million.

Most of the funding for the project is coming from outside Chapel Hill, with about $640,000 through the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization. Town bond funding of $160,000 will be used as the required local match.

The first phase, scheduled for bidding this summer, would create a new parking lot just east of Kingswood Apartments, which lie on the south side of N.C. 54 between U.S. 15-501 South and Smith Level Road.

The trail will connect that parking lot to Merritt Pasture, 30 acres of open space in the southeast corner of U.S. 15-501 and N.C. 54.

Most of the stimulus money goes to Chapel Hill Transit, including $1.1 million for two new 40-foot hybrid buses added to a previous order of seven hybrids due for delivery this fall; $1 million for preventative maintenance; and $565,000 for nine smaller vehicles.

The housing department also received about $730,000 to renovate 15 apartments at the South Roberson project and replace appliances in the Eastwood, Caldwell-Church and Oakwood projects.