By Sara Wood
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/whqr/local-whqr-989789.mp3
Wilmington, NC – A 3.4 mile stretch of the Gary Shell Cross City Trail in Wilmington will be completed tomorrow. The new section connects existing bike and pedestrian trails that wind around UNCW. WHQR's Sara Wood reports this phase provides better off-road options for pedestrians and bicyclists.
With the completion of what project leaders call Phase 3, more than 6 miles of the 15-mile trail are finished. The entire trail will eventually stretch from Wade Park in South Wilmington to the drawbridge at Wrightsville beach. Project Director Amy Beatty says along with providing a transportation alternative, the trail links neighborhoods together.
"Really, as soon as we laid the asphalt the next day we saw, especially in the evening time, lots of families getting out and using the trail. And it's an opportunity to not only get some recreational use out of the trail but a social component emerges too as people get out of their house and begin talking to their neighbors."
Beatty says while there isn't a firm timeline on the trail's final completion, portions of the trail should link to Wrightsville Beach within the next 18 months. She says the next phase of construction will focus on pedestrian safety.
"A lot of the easy pieces have been constructed to this point and now we're turning our attention to the more complex needs such as pedestrian improvements at intersections and really our focus is on safety and getting those portions complete."
Some of the intersections include Independence and Shipyard Boulevards and Eastwood and Military Cutoff Roads. The project is being funded by federal, state and local entities and was approved by voters in 2006.
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