Neuse River Trail

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

Town of Wake Forest
Town of Knightdale
Wake County
North Carolina Department of Transportation

The Neuse River Trail project has been separated into seven projects. The northernmost 6.5 miles of trail was completed in November. Construction is underway for five of the remaining six sections. The Horseshoe Bend section is in design.

Construction Phase

The Neuse River Trail Project is separated into smaller sub-projects that are planned to become individual construction projects. These projects are named Upper Neuse, Neuse Horseshoe Bend, Neuse Buffalo Road, Neuse Hedingham, Neuse Riverview, and South Neuse which are more fully described on separate pages.

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 Master Recreation 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 flood plain along the Neuse River, the development of a trail system within the corridor with one asphalt trail extending the entire length, and 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.

With the adoption of the Neuse River Master Recreation Plan in 1996, the City began acquiring lands along the Neuse River as recommended. The City now has interest in over 2000 acreas of park or greenway properties along the river. There are nine parcels of land that have been acquired for park purposes along the length of the corridor.

In 2007, the residents of Raleigh overwhelmingly approved a Park and Recreation Bond Referendum that included $15 million for the development of the asphalt greenway trail along the Neuse. This trail will begin at Falls Lake Dam and will extend along the river to the Wake County line, a distance of 28 miles. The estimated cost for the entire project is approximately $30 million.

In addition to the unique opportunity afforded citizens of Raleigh for this long distance, nature-oriented trail experience, this trail also opens opportunities to adjoing communities to connect to this central spine. With the completion of the trail and the construction of two linkages across the Neuse River - one to Smith Creek in Wake Forest and the second to Mingo Creek in Knightdale - the Capital Area Greenway will become the central system of a larger regional system serving east and northeast Wake County.

The Mountains to Sea Trail (MST), a State of North Carolina linear park, extends from the mountains in western North Carolina at Murfreesboro to the coast of eastern North Carolina at Jockey's Ridge. The corridor for this trail within Wake County follows the south shore of Falls Lake and connects to the Neuse River Trail at Falls Lake Dam. The planned MST then follows the Neuse River Trail through Wake County to the county line.

The Neuse River Trail is planned to be a 10-foot wide asphalt path extending from Falls Lake Dam to the Wake County line. The scope of the project is:

1. Design/Engineering of the trail
2. Construction of the trail in sections as funding becomes available.

The Neuse River Trail is:

• An opportunity for long-distance, nature-oriented, off-road travel
• Serves as central leg of a regional greenway trail system
• An important link of the Mountains to Sea Trail
• Protection of extensive wetlands and large tracts of floodplain
• Protection of extensive wildlife habitat areas
• Preservation of the floodplain to manage flood waters and preserve water quality

The Neuse River Greenway will transform the river from a boundary between the various jurisdictions into a shared natural resource that will unite these neighboring communties.

The Neuse River Trail project is divided into several segments for the purposes of awarding construction contracts. Each segment has a separate schedule that is detailed on the web pages for each segment. Generally, the design and engineering for the project began in January 2009. The entire project is expected to be completed in 2013.

The estimated construction cost for the Neuse River Trail is $30 million. The 2007 Parks and Recreation Bond Referendum included $13 million in funding for the trail. Additional funding has been received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), North Carolina Department of Transportation (STP-DA), Town of Knightdale, Town of Wake Forest, and Wake County.

Previous Meetings:

Public Meetings

March 23, 2009
Hedingham Clubhouse, 6 PM to 7:30 PM
4401 Willow Oak Road, Raleilgh, NC


March 31, 2009
Durant Park, Campbell Lodge 6 PM to 7:30 PM
8305 Camp Durant Road, Raleigh, NC

April 2, 2009
Barwell Road Community Center
3935 Barwell Road, Raleigh, NC

Riverbend Community Meetings
March 26, 2009 - Green Road Community Center
April 16, 2009 - PRGAB
September 17, 2009 - PRGAB


Stakeholder Meetings
May 29, 2008
Chief Elected Officials and Stakeholders
Raleigh Municipal Bldg.

July 28, 2008
Chief Elected Officials and Stakeholders
Raleigh Municipal Building

October 8, 2008
City Council and Wake County Board and Stakeholders
Wake County Office Building

November 20, 2008
PRGAB presentation
Jaycee Module

January, 2009
Johnston County Commissioners
Smithfield, NC

May 5, 2010
Stakeholders Meeting
Stewart Engineering Offices
421 Fayetteville Street