The Meadow River Rail Trail project is alive and well, but it will be about 2-3 more years before the trail is open to the public in its entirety.
Matt Ford, project coordinator for the Meadow River Rail Trail, presented new information about trail construction before the Rainelle Town Council on Monday, Aug. 9.
According to Ford, multiple phases of construction are currently taking place.
The crushed stone walking/biking trail will begin near the lumber mill on Snake Island Road in Rainelle and follow the path of an old CSX spur line to the community of Nallen on the Fayette/Nicholas County border.
Plans for the trail began 10 years ago when the section from Nallen to the Russellville bridge was purchased, Ford explained. A lot of work had been completed on that section, but a setback occurred in 2016 when the flood took out the Russellville bridge.
“It was completed and open, but half of that bridge currently sits in the Meadow River near Russellville,” Ford noted. “It washed off its foundation.”
Fayette County is currently working on that section, Ford stated.
In addition to receiving financial support from the Fayette County Commission, portions of the trail in Greenbrier County are being funded by the WVDOH and, through the Greenbrier County Commission, the project was awarded a $1.8 million grant earlier this year from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Abandoned Mine Reclamation Act, Ford said.
For the sections covered by the WVDOH, Ford said that they are working on a design, but construction cannot be started until at least October 2022.
Also, at numerous points along the trail, FEMA will be providing funding for repairs needed following the flood.
The good news is that sections of the trail will open as soon as they can. Most likely, the first section that will be open is the portion from Burdette Creek to Russellville, Ford added.
He continued that the two most common questions he receives about the trail are “Why not an ATV trail because ATV’s would be better for Rainelle economically” and “I see a lot of information about grants, but I don’t see any construction.”
Ford stated that the deed for the property does not allow motorized use of the trail, even though he agreed that an ATV trail would be good for the town.
Also, “It takes a while to engineer and design a project before you ever see the first piece of gravel go on the trail.”
He concluded by telling Rainelle town officials that they should consider creating a secure parking area so that trail-goers can safely access the trail, and bring their business to the town.
Ford said he has been in discussions with Region IV officials about finding safe options for that since log trucks and bicycles do not mix.
For more information on the trail, visit their Facebook page “Meadow River Rail Trail.”
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