Neuse River - Auburn Knightdale Road to Poole Road

Stewart Engineering - Prime Consultant
Environmental Services, Inc. - Natural Systems Investigation
S&ME - Geotechnical Investigations
URS Corporation - Traffic Engineering
Sungate Design Group - Hydraulics

Wake County

Construction for this section of trail began in October 2011.

Construction Phase

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

The major recommendations of the Neuse River Master Plan include:

• The preservation of the full floodplain width along the river corridor;
• The development of a trail system along the corridor with an asphalt trail extending along the entire length of the river in Wake County.
• The development of adjoining upland park areas at a spacing of 2 to 3 miles to provide varied recreation opportunities and access points to the river and trail.

Since the adoption of the Neuse River Regional Park Master Plan in 1996, the City has acquired an interest in over 2,000 acres of land for park or greenway use along the Neuse River. This includes parcels in nine separate areas for use as upland park sites.

In 2007, residents of Raleigh overwhelmingly approved a Parks and Recreation Bond referendum that included $13 million for the development of the Neuse River Trail. The trail is approximately 28 miles long and extends from Falls Lake Dam to the Wake/Johnston County line. The estimated cost of this entire project is $30 million. Wake County has agreed to contribute the funds necessary to complete the segment of the trail between the County line and Poole Road.

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

It is a goal of the Neuse River Regional Master Plan to complete an asphalt trail along the entire length of the Neuse River within Wake County. It is also a directive from the City Council to complete the trail by the end of 2012. This is one segment of that plan. Each of the segments is planned to be completed by 2012 and when complete the Neuse River will provide a connection between the primary greenway trails within Raleigh to Falls Lake, Wake Forest, Knightdale and Clayton.

Advertise for Construction: May 12, 2011
Open Bids: June 21, 2011
Award Bid: July 5, 2011
Begin Construction: October 2011
Completion: October 2012

The estimated cost of the project is $6.47 million.