Wareham officials have expressed a desire to connect with Marion’s long-gestating link in the South Coast Bikeway.

At a meeting of the Wareham School Committee Wednesday night, Michael Langford and members of the Wareham Community Pathway Committee said they were interested in completing the Wareham section of the South Coast Bikeway, with Decas Elementary and Minot Forest Elementary both falling within its reach.

The bikeway is a proposed 50-mile system of bike paths that would connect Rhode Island to Cape Cod.

Langford said the committee has been working for years to get the project in motion, and with Marion and Mattapoisett both on board to connect the existing pathway in Fairhaven and Mattapoisett, Wareham would be a key component connecting it to Buzzards Bay and beyond.

“The ultimate goal is to tie into the South Coast pathway,” Langford said. “Marion just finished its PIF (Project Initiation Form), and Mattapoisett’s already working on a two-mile stretch.”

He said projects like this are generally funded 90 percent by state money and 10 percent by municipalities.

In June, Marion Selectmen learned that the town’s portion of the bike path will receive federal money for construction starting fiscal year 2019.

Federal funds earmarked for the path total $3.4 million. The bike path will connect with the Mattapoisett/Fairhaven path and will follow a former rail bed into Washburn Park.

It will then link with the Wareham section on County Road.

The Wareham portion would cover a 13-mile stretch through town, including Main Street, Minot Avenue and Onset Avenue, with some sections sharing the road with cars and others being off-road.

“We’re not trying to take any private lands,” said Langford. “It’s a big project but we’re excited about it. We’ve been doing this for quite a while.”

Langford said that the schools’ principals could apply for and receive grants that would aid in the path’s construction.

“There are some programs out there that are available to schools in which there is lots and lots of grant money available for one mile around public schools where our kids could get to school either by bikes, by walking to school, and so forth,” said Langford. “We would hope to incorporate some of that in constructing our linear parkway around the schools as we’re coming down through there.”

Having the school’s apply for funding would help make up a chunk of that 10 percent. He said they are nearing the process of completing Wareham’s PIF.

Langford said that community projects like this are good ways to get students involved in the business and construction side of things, as well.

Several committee members expressed interest in the path and thanked the group for bringing the suggestions to them.

“I’m thrilled with the idea of the path being extended from New Bedford all the way to the Cape,” said school committee member Judy Capporiccio, adding that she’s a member of the Bay Area Senior Cyclists.

“I appreciate your efforts,” said committee member Dr. Clifford Sylvia. “We want everyone to support the bike path.”