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CAPE FEAR MEMORIAL BRIDGE CLOSURE: UPDATES, RESOURCES, AND CONTEXT

Wilmington Plans 'Cross-City' Trail

By Megan V. Williams

Wilmington, NC – The Port City wants to create a new outdoor opportunity for its plodders, peddlers, and pavement-pounders.

Wilmington's planning a Cross-City Trail using new routes to link existing paths into a single paved trail starting at Halyburton Park and ending at Wrightsville Beach.

The trail will pass through city parks, school grounds, the Cameron Art Museum, and the University of North Carolina Wilmington, touching on many existing out-door recreation sites.

Parks and Recreation Director Gary Shell says work should start immediately on the first section of the trail, between South College road and the museum.

But Shell predicts it will be two-to-four years before travelers can make the full ten-mile jaunt, in part because the city still needs to secure complete funding for the project.

A million dollars was set aside in last year's Parks Bond for the trail. The city also obtained access to several portions of the trail through partnerships with private owners and businesses.

In a statement, UNCW said it is collaborating with Wilmington on the trail from Randall to Racine drive, but isn't committing funds right now to extend the path beyond Racine. The University said it would need trustee approval to incorporate more of the trail into any future campus expansion.

City officials say they hope to eventually link the Cross-City Trail to a system of greenways throughout Wilmington.

You can find a map of the proposed Cross-City Trail route here (requires Adobe Reader)