The Montgomery County Commissioners presented Lower Merion Township with a check for $1.3 million Wednesday to develop over two miles of recreational trail and preserve an 8.29 acre tract along it.

The County will pay $1,038,207 for construction of the Cynwyd Trail from the Cynwyd station to the intersection of Rock Hill Road and Belmont Avenue. Lower Merion will match that grant with $259,758 from township funds.

The County granted an additional $264,000 for the purchase of an 8.29-acre tract known as the Westminster Cemetery Property. The township will match that grant with $66,000 and cover all closing and settlement costs.

The funds come from Greenfields/Greentowns, the County’s 10-year $150 million open space preservation program that voters approved overwhelmingly in 2002.

The Cynwyd Trail will eventually extend into Manayunk in Philadelphia via an unused railroad bridge across the Schuylkill River that offers spectacular views of the entire region.

That will make the area a tourist destination, which will promote economic growth, Montgomery County Commissioners Chairman Jim Matthews said.

The County Commissioners will be coming to voters again next year asking them to support another program aimed at improving their quality of life and promoting economic growth, he said. Voters will be asked to endorse a $150 million program to improve traffic flow on area roads, Matthews said.

The state and federal governments have clearly indicated that all of their transportation dollars for the foreseeable future will be used to fix existing roads and bridges that are wearing out.

“There are tens of thousands of small businesses that employ the majority of our residents in Montgomery County. Those people can’t just sit in traffic,” Matthews said. “Little things like fixing intersections or coordinating traffic signals can make a big difference.”