With one section of the Greenville Loop Trail completed, here's the latest on the project

Madison Lipe, Wilmington StarNews
A Greenville Loop Trail status sign sits alongside Greenville Loop Road in front of Bradley Creek Elementary School. The sign lists the project status as in the design phase.
A Greenville Loop Trail status sign sits alongside Greenville Loop Road in front of Bradley Creek Elementary School. The sign lists the project status as in the design phase.

The city of Wilmington is working to push forward progress on the phases of the Greenville Loop Trail, which is a multi-use path project that provides connectivity through the city.

The trail will cover about 4.4 miles and provide connections between schools, parks, shopping centers and residential neighborhoods in the city's southeast quadrant.

Starting on College Road near Shipyard Boulevard, the trail will go down Greenville Loop Road and then connect to the River to Sea Bike Route on Park Avenue that runs from Downtown Wilmington to Wrightsville Beach.

The latest action from the Wilmington City Council gave authorization for staff to file condemnation actions for acquisition of easements and right-of-way for the trail's third section, which is the Greenville Loop Section.

The Wilmington City Council approved funding for the Greenville Loop Trail.
The Wilmington City Council approved funding for the Greenville Loop Trail.

What are the sections?

  • Section 1: This section stretches from Holly Tree Road from South College Road to Pine Grove Drive. The construction for this section was completed in 2023 and there will be a signalized crossing installed at South College Road so that users can connect to the Central College Trail -- a separate project.

  • Section 2: This section stretches from Pine Grove Drive to Old Military Road and due to the bridge and road crossings in this section, it is expected to be the last to go into construction, according to the city. As of February, the design was 90% complete and right-of-way acquisition was underway. The city hopes to begin construction on this nine-month project this fall.

  • Section 3: The third section stretches from Old Military Road to Park Avenue and the trail will be on the north side of Greenville Loop Road with a proposed signaled pedestrian crossing at Oleander Drive. The design is 100% complete and the city is in the process of filing condemnation actions and deposits so they can start construction. The project is expected to take six months to complete, with construction slated to begin in late summer.

  • Section 4: From Holly Tree Road and Pine Grove Drive to the planned roundabout at the Pine Grove and Greenville Loop Road intersection, this section will be completed with the Pine Grove Drive South intersection improvement projects. Right-of-way acquisition is expected to take seven to nine months and the construction, which is slated to begin in early 2025, is planned to take 14 months.

More: From trails to parks, here are Wilmington-area places great for a walk or hike

What are the benefits of the trail?

The city’s intended benefits include maximizing the use of public dollars to expand upon existing trails, creating safe connections for bicycling and walking between existing and planned trails, providing healthy and safe options to exercise, providing walking and biking as another way to reach commercial areas to alleviate congested roads, and addressing the priorities of residents from neighborhood meetings.

What's the cost?

The budget is $6.8 million, with funding coming from a $44 million transportation bond approved by voters in 2014. In total the project will cost $8.2 million.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: City of Wilmington, NC, moves forward with Greenville Loop Trail project

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