Work begins on James River Branch Trail
Sahara Sriraman at 8NEWS reports that there was an official groundbreaking for the James River Branch Trail on Tuesday.
The James River Branch Trail will be an an approximately 2-mile long, 10-foot wide paved multi-use trail on an a former CSX rail bed that will connect Westover Hills Boulevard to Hopkins Road.
The trail will connect neighborhoods, schools, and businesses, with direct connections from adjoining neighborhoods, and will be a nice piece of the growing South Richmond bike lanes and trails network.
The trail will cross a number of streets, including Hull Street, Midlothian Turnpike, and Broad Rock Road. The road crossings will have either a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon or a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon, with additional traffic calming measures at Broad Rock and Midlothian Turnpike.
The project is estimated to cost $9 million and is being financed through American Rescue Plan Act funds. The trail is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026.
In case anyone else was looking for a map of the proposed route, here is the planning proposal from the city:
https://planrva.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/JRB-Rail-Trail-Concept-Plan-03102010.pdf