City of Raleigh News Release - City to Dedicate Neuse River Trail April 25

Jayne Kirkpatrick, Director, Public Affairs
Prepared by: Christopher Riley, Senior Public Affairs Specialist

For more information:
Dedication Event: Kellee Beach, Parks and Recreation Department, 919-996-3285
Greenway System: Vic Lebsock, Parks and Recreation Department, 919-996-3285

April 8, 2013

 

City to Dedicate Neuse River Trail April 25

Residents of Raleigh are invited to celebrate the dedication of 20 miles of the 28-mile Neuse River Trail. An official dedication will be held Thursday, April 25 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Anderson Point Park, 20 Anderson Point Drive.

The dedication ceremony will begin at 5:00 p.m. with music and activities to follow. Everyone is invited to walk, run, stroll, or bike the trail and enjoy the scenic views.
After the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony, guests are invited to enjoy activities and information booths that include:

 

• Live Bluegrass music from Grass Cats
• Kids crafts
• Nature education
• Bike maintenance
• Children's Bike Safety Rodeo
• Greenway volunteer program
• Oak City Cycling
• Local Parks and Recreation Departments

History and Background
 

The Neuse River Corridor is the central spine of the Capital Area Greenway, which was first adopted by the Raleigh City Council in 1976. In 1996, the City completed the Neuse River Regional Park Master Plan, which is a more detailed evaluation and proposal for the development of the Neuse River Corridor as a regional linear park.

Since the adoption of the Neuse River Regional Park Master Plan in 1996, the City has acquired an interest in more than 2,000 acres of land for park or greenway use along the river. This includes nine parcels of land that have been acquired for future parks along the corridor.

In 2007, the residents of Raleigh overwhelmingly approved a Parks and Recreation Bond Referendum that included $13 million for the development of the Neuse River Trail. Additional partners involved in completing the trail include Wake County, North Carolina Department of Transportation, Town of Wake Forest, and Town of Knightdale.

The entire trail will be 28 miles once a three-quarter mile section at Horseshoe Farm is completed, which is anticipated to be late in 2013. The trail will extend from Falls Lake Dam on Falls of Neuse Road to the Wake/Johnston County Line.

The first section to be completed, the Upper Neuse greenway trail is a 10-foot wide asphalt trail from Falls Lake Dam to the WRAL Soccer Complex on Perry Creek Road. There are seven bridges and seven boardwalk sections along the trail. In addition, the trail passes under Falls of Neuse Road, New Falls of Neuse Road, and Capital Boulevard, resulting in no road conflicts along the route. The trail provides connections from the Falls canoe launch and Falls Lake recreation area at Falls of Neuse Road to the soccer complex on Perry Creek. The trail also passes through the future Thornton Road Park site.

The Horseshoe Bend section of the Neuse River Trail extends approximately one mile from the WRAL soccer complex to Louisburg Road around Horseshoe Farms Park.

The Auburn-Knightdale Road to Poole Road segment of the Neuse River Trail is approximately 3.0 miles long. There are several bridges and boardwalks in this segment with one bridge crossing Walnut Creek. The Walnut Creek Trail extension will connect to this segment.

The Poole Road to Anderson Point Park segment of the Neuse River Trail extends approximately 1.3 miles. There is a major bridge crossing Crabtree Creek connecting to the existing trail in Anderson Point Park.

The NC 401-to-Skycrest Drive right-of-way section is approximately eight miles long. The section includes three bridges over the Neuse River. The trail will begin in Horseshoe Farm Park and cross the river to the south side of the Neuse. Additional bridges over the Neuse River are located at Buffalo Road Athletic Park and at Skycrest Drive right of way. Parking is provided at Horseshoe Farm Park, Trailhead Drive, Buffalo Road Athletic Park and at the intersection of Skycrest Drive and Abington Lane.

The Anderson Point Park to Skycrest Drive section of the trail links Anderson Point Park to Milburnie East and West Parks via a bridge just south of Milburnie Dam. Additionally, the Knightdale and Wake Forest Greenway systems now are connected to the Capital Area Greenway System via bridges over the Neuse River.

In November, Mayor Nancy McFarlane and Town of Wake Forest Mayor Vivian Jones officially dedicated the Upper Neuse Connector. The Upper Neuse Connector is a 558-foot bridge that spans the Neuse River and connects the Town of Wake Forest’s Smith Creek Greenway with the City of Raleigh’s Upper Neuse River Greenway.  The Upper Neuse Connector is located at the southern end of Wake Forest’s Smith Creek Greenway and can be accessed at Burlington Mills Road, just west of Bratt Avenue. The bridge is located approximately one mile south of the trailhead.

The segment of the Neuse River Trail that extends from the Johnston County/Wake County line to Auburn Knightdale Road is approximately 5.7 miles long. There are several bridges with one crossing the Neuse River. The trail will be a 10-feet wide asphalt path, located primarily adjacent to agricultural fields managed by the City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department as a function of the Neuse River Waste Water Treatment Plant. The character of this trail is different from most greenway trails in Raleigh.

Learn About:

Neuse River Trail

Capital Area Greenways