Neuse River - Upper Neuse Greenway Trail

Current Activity

Construction of the Upper Neuse Trail is complete. The trail officially opened on November 9, 2011.

Status

Completed

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.

The major recommendations of the Neuse River Plan include:

• The preservation of the full width of the floodplain along the Neuse River;
• The development of a trail system within the corridor with one asphalt trail extending the entire length;
• The development of adjoining upland park areas at a spacing of 2 to 3 miles to provide various 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 river. This includes nine parcels of land that have been acquired for future parks along the corridor.

In 2003, the residents of Raleigh overwhelmingly approved a Parks and Recreation Bond Referendum that included $1.474 million for the development of the Upper Neuse Trail. In addition to the City's funding, Federal Enhancement funds in the amount of $893,000 and American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funds in the amount of $3.25 million were secured by the City.

Project Scope

Work on the greenway began January 18, 2010. The trail officially opened on November 9, 2011.

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 project. In addition, the trail passes under Falls of Neuse Road, New Falls of Neuse Road, and Capital Boulevard, resulting in no road conflicts along route.

Goals and Objectives

The Upper Neuse Greenway Trail is the first segment of the Neuse River Trail to be completed. This 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. Finally, construction is currently underway to connect Wake Forest's greenway system to the Neuse River Trail in the vicinity of the future Thornton Road Park site.

Project Schedule

Trail Open: November 9, 2011

Budget

Construction Contract $3,996,000.00