Accomack Board approves resolution supporting Rail Trail application

The Accomack County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution Wednesday supporting the ANPDC’s Smartscale Application for the Eastern Shore of Virginia Rail Trail.  The Board originally approved the application but VDOT has now required the resolution to be included  in the application under consideration.

The application is for a segment of the Eastern Shore of Virginia Rail Trail that includes a 10 ft. wide multi-use paved path along the former Bay Coast Railroad  corridor  stretching 8.3 miles from East Main St. in Onley to Christine Lane just north of Parksley.  The 60 ft. corridor right-of-way is primarily straight and flat and deviates from Route 13 in Onley to run adjacent to Route 316.  This includes the construction of a trail head in Parksley.

The Eastern Shore of Virginia Rail Trail is a project that, in its entirety will convert approximately 49 miles of the former railroad right-of-way  to a 10 ft. multi-use non-motorized transportation facility.

Former Supervisor Ron Wolff who heads up the Rail Trail effort said that plans are in the work for the first segment that will start in Cape Charles and go to Cheriton. Grants were obtained by former Congresswoman Luria for the first length of trail.  He said that Senators Kaine and Warner have obtained $23.5 million in grant money to build the trail from Birdsnest to Onley a 17 mile piece that Wolff hopes will begin construction in 2025.  Plans are also underway to connect Cheriton to Birdsnest as well.

Wolff said that the only other piece of the proposed 49 mile trail is from Parksley to Hallwood.  He said that he has been assured by the state that a Smartscale application  Parksley Hallwood stretch can be made in the near future.

Wolff emphasized that the trail is being built with both federal and state money. No local money is involved.

The Rails to Trails program keeps former rail beds in tact for use as right of ways for utilities and in the unlikely event that rail service would return to the lower Eastern Shore in the future it would preserve the right of way for that use as well.