麻花视频

VDOT will hold one meeting from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at Eagle Rock Elementary School in Botetourt County, and another from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at Craig County High School.

will run between Last Lock Park near Eagle Rock and Craig County High School in New Castle. It will follow the former Chesapeake and Ohio Craig Valley Branch railbed and right of way, which was donated to Virginia in 1961 for 鈥渇or such public use as Commonwealth may determine,鈥� according to VDOT.

In September 2023, the General Assembly put funds toward five multi-use trail projects across Virginia, one of which being the Craig-Botetourt trail. That same month, VDOT held informational meetings about the trail in both counties.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board has allocated $19.5 million for the trail, which VDOT anticipates will be enough to construct around 20 miles, from Craig County High School to the end of state maintenance on Craig Valley Drive.

Some adjacent property owners have deep concerns about the trail, and they generally differ by what county they鈥檙e in. In Craig County, where sections of the trail go through neighborhoods and pass by private property, some are worried about having a public trail so close to their homes.

鈥淚 have some friends and neighbors that were somewhat blindsided by this project,鈥� said Woody Lipps, chairman of Craig County鈥檚 citizen committee for the trail. 鈥淭his state-owned property puts this trail fairly close to their residences, and I鈥檓 sensitive to that.鈥�

Both counties have citizen committees to help with planning and coordination with VDOT. Lipps said the committee he鈥檚 on was formed to listen to property owners鈥� concerns about the trail and work with VDOT on mitigations to address them.

To Lipps, the trail represents an opportunity for economic development and positive change in Craig County. It will allow both counties to actively promote their communities as what they want them to be and to share some of their 鈥渘atural beauty, peace and quiet, and outdoor experience,鈥� he said.

鈥淭his trail represents a change, and to some, particularly those who live next to it, a profound change,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 understand their feelings. I empathize with their emotions.鈥�

鈥淚n the natural world, there鈥檚 only two directions, plant or animal 鈥� The two directions are you鈥檙e growing, or you鈥檙e dying. Nothing stays the same,鈥� he added.

Around 9 miles of the trail corridor is located on VDOT-maintained secondary roads. Most of these 鈥渟hare the road鈥� sections, which cars, hikers, bikers and horseback riders will all use, are located in Oriskany. Residents who live in the area and are opposed to the trail, like Jim Stadtlander, are primarily concerned with safety. Stadtlander is a founding member of , a group oppositing the project.

鈥淲e鈥檝e already come across scenarios where kids are scattered all over the road on their bicycles with mom, trying to bring a dog with them,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 more worried about the dog, and all the sudden there鈥檚 a car coming down the road.鈥�

At nearly 4 miles, Old Rail Road is the longest 鈥渟hare the road鈥� portion of the trail. Like many roads of its kind, biking and horseback riding are already permitted uses on Old Rail Road. However, Stadtlander is worried that labelling the route as a trail may lead to increased use of it as such, and that people using the trail may not realize it鈥檚 also a road for vehicles.

鈥淐alling it a trail leads to a lot of confusion as to those who are using it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey will be coming off of sections that are trails, and then they get onto a road.鈥�

Old Rail Road is a narrow gravel road with a one-way bridge and few places to pull over. The road isn鈥檛 wide enough to , he said. There are no plans to pave or widen the secondary roads, according to VDOT. The road is considered low-volume, as VDOT determined it carries around 40 vehicle trips per day.

Oriskany sits almost directly on the trail鈥檚 halfway point, and thus was deemed an ideal place for a trailhead. Pathfinders for Greenways, a nonprofit formed in 1997 to involve citizens in greenway development, recently closed on 15 acres on Old Rail Road, intending to give the land to VDOT for a trailhead, said Liz Belcher, former 麻花视频 Valley greenway coordinator and current Pathfinders board member.

This new trailhead will be located across from the Craig Creek Recreation Area entrance and will include space for 10 trucks with horse trailers and 14 passenger vehicles, according to VDOT. A private land owner offered to sell them the land after the public meetings in 2023.

Pathfinders applied to and received a Preservation Trust Fund grant from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, Belcher said. The foundation will reimburse Pathfinders $200,000 for the land purchase, she added, so long as the deed to the property specifies that it will always be open space.

From that trailhead, people will be able to access around 100 miles of trails between the U.S. Forest Service trails and the Craig-Botetourt trail, Belcher said.

In addition to the trailhead, she added, Pathfinders has supported the Craig-Botetourt Scenic Trail project through more than .

Some folks in Oriskany are also worried about a section of the trail that they have previously used as an 鈥渆mergency route鈥� in cases of extreme flooding. VDOT has stated that residents will still be allowed to use this route during high-water events, but some are concerned about VDOT putting a locked gate on the road.

鈥淭his area gets completely cut off from getting out to the rest of the world,鈥� Stadtlander said.

Jason Bond, a spokesperson for VDOT, said that the current plan is to gate the road, as it is not a designated secondary road and not meant for everyday use. VDOT is 鈥渃onsidering options for how to manage access鈥� to the road during high-water events, he said.

VDOT also plans to construct trailheads in Charlton and Parr. The parking at Craig County High School will be eliminated once the project is done. Six bridges along the former railbed will be modified, two box culverts will be rehabilitated and two box culverts will be replaced, according to VDOT.

Crews are currently working along the trail corridor; however, VDOT says this is maintenance and not trail construction.

鈥淰DOT has been clearing brush and stabilizing the former railbed to enhance access for designers as they continue to develop construction plans,鈥� the agency says. 鈥淭hese activities are not a part of the trail construction project but will prevent additional deterioration of the former railbed.鈥�