Bike trail gets $23 million in federal funds

The Bike Trail is about to be completed from Nassawadox to Onley thanks to $23 million in federal funds announced Tuesday.

Part of the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity (RAISE) grant program, $23,251,485 is headed to Northampton and Accomack Counties to support the conversion of 16.8 miles of abandoned Bay Coast Railroad into a 10-foot-wide shared-use path that will connect the town of Nassawadox with several historic towns on the way to the Town of Onley.

With an overall goal of 50 miles from Cape Charles to Hallwood from the former rail road right of way owned by Canonie, proponents of the bike trail say the trail will bring economic opportunities to the Eastern Shore. The Rails to Trails program seeks to turn out of use rail lines into bike trails to preserve the right of ways established long ago. VDOT initiated the Eastern Shore Rail to Trail Study to assess the feasibility of converting the former Bay Coast Railroad into a shared use path. The abandoned railroad corridor spans Northampton County and Accomack County and travels through the Towns of Hallwood, Bloxom, Parksley, Onley, Melfa, Keller, and Painter in Accomack County and the Towns of Exmore, Nassawadox, Eastville, Cheriton, and Cape Charles in Northampton County.

Two legs of the bike trail have been completed, stretching from the southern tip of the Shore to just behind the Cape Center. Another small stretch in Nassawadox was completed by the Accomack-Northampton Transportation District Commission.

Senator Tim Kaine visited Cape Charles last year to meet with local leaders and talk about $2.5 million in federal funding Senators Kaine and Warner previously secured for the project via the Congressionally Directed Spending process. No progress has been made on construction of this 2.5 mile leg of the trail.