A few weeks ago we shared the good news that Chapel Hill was moving ahead with quick fixes to three critical greenway connections that have been officially closed since Tropic Storm Chantal hit in July–the Bolin Creek Trail, the Fordham Boulevard greenway, and the Morgan Creek Trail.
The town said that fixes to Bolin Creek Trail would be implemented first, and that work is done! Several folks reported earlier this week that the trail is open, and today the town announced that the Bolin Creek Trail would officially be open Friday morning. That’s amazing news for everyone who uses the Bolin Creek Trail for recreation or transportation.
The work is not done. A Redditor who has traveled the path took photos of some of the short-term fixes and the protective barriers keeping walkers and bike riders out of still-damaged areas. (Check out the previous link to see the photos.) But while work to fix those issues continue, we can once again take advantage of this wonderful amenity.
The town has moved on to the next project, repairing the Fordham greenway. Town staff were on site today beginning to repair the broken pavement, and soon will tackle the bridge over Bolin Creek.
As we noted last month, if the town is serious about making walking, biking and taking transit a first-class alternative to automobile travel, keeping critical multimodal connections open needs to be a top priority. We’re thankful that the town has accelerated this work, and also thankful for the hard work of town staff who are doing the work. It’s exciting that we can get back out on the trail!