Riverwalk Greenway project split into two parts
Carlos Showers Greenway to move forward while town evaluates options to the east
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
April 15, 2021
One of two options for the eastern side of the Riverwalk Greenway presented to the Black Mountain Town Council in its April 12 meeting aligns with the railroad tracks south of U.S. 70. Photo by Fred McCormick
As potential off-road routes east of Black Mountain Avenue emerge for the second phase of the Riverwalk Greenway, the Black Mountain Town Council in its April 12 regular monthly meeting voted to separate the $6 million project in an effort to expedite construction of the western portion of the trail.
Town Manager Josh Harrold presented the option to the board, which learned in October of 2020 that construction of a bridge across the Swannanoa River in the original alignment could not meet the necessary flood plain requirements. Council members reviewed possible alignments utilizing sidewalks and multi-use paths in February, but the future of the centerpiece of the town’s greenway system remains unclear.
The initial vision for the Riverwalk Greenway, which once completed will connect the Flat Creek Greenway near Black Mountain Primary School to The Oaks trail at the end of Vance Avenue, featured a trio of highway and railroad crossings along a mostly wooded route. Fred Grogan of Michael Baker International, the engineer of record for the project, told the council last fall that a design for a bridge over a section of the river at the end of Center Avenue could not meet the requirements for the required No-Rise Certification through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Two months ago, he presented a pair of options that could utilize current sidewalks and roadways with improved infrastructure to bring the trail through town.
Following that meeting, Harrold told the board Monday night, engagement from the Greenway Commission and the public led the town to explore another off-road option for the trail. The town manager presented two potential alignments through wooded property between U.S. 70 and N.C. 9. One of the routes runs just south of the railroad tracks and would require permission from Norfolk Southern. The other off-road option travels just north of I-40 near the Swannanoa River.
While both alignments lead to the existing Riverwalk Park behind the former Bi Lo building, they also require permission from the owners of the 5.5 acres of property through which either would be constructed.
“One of those alignments skirts along the railroad right-of-way, and the rest runs through Black Mountain Ventures’ property,” Harrold said. “The other alignment would also go through the Black Mountain Ventures property.”
Efforts by the town to contact Norfolk Southern regarding the use of the right-of-way have been unsuccessful up to this point, the town manager told the board, and both routes would also require permission to utilize a private railroad crossing at Hemphill Road.
“(N.C. Department of Transportation) has been asking questions about that and we haven’t received answers at this time,” Harrold said. “I would estimate that’s been going on for three to four weeks.”
A new bridge off of U.S. 70 would need to be constructed to replace a small one-lane structure to access either of the proposed off-road routes, he added.
“The good news about this is we’ve been in discussion with the (French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization) and the NCDOT about the potential to split the whole project into two,” Harrold said. “What this would do is give us the opportunity to start on the other side of this greenway towards Veterans Park.”
Construction could begin on that segment of the greenway, which will be designated the Carlos Showers Greenway in honor of the late councilman who passed away in January of 2020, after approval from the French Broad MPO, according to Harrold. That route will begin near the bridge on the southern end of Black Mountain Avenue and run along Terry Estates Drive before connecting to existing sidewalks on Vance Avenue.
The decision to bifurcate the Riverwalk Greenway project will expedite the construction of the Carlos Showers Greenway, which will run along Terry Estates Drive to Vance Avenue. Photo by Fred McCormick
The process of separating the project will take 60-90 days, according to Harrold, but would allow work to begin on that portion of the trail while the town assesses options for the eastern section.
“For that segment, we need to come back at some point and have a discussion about what this alignment will be,” he said.
Mayor Larry Harris confirmed that “bifurcating” the project would not prevent the board from making decisions related to the section between U.S. 70 and N.C. 9.
“This really just enables us to start construction where we’re ready to start it,” he said. “This allows us to start moving.”
The town council voted 5-0 to separate the project and proceed with the Carlos Showers Greenway.
“The design for the portion to the west is mostly done,” Harrold told the board. “When we choose an option for the other segment, unless we use existing sidewalks, we’ll have to go through that (design) process again. I can’t really give you a good time frame on that, but it will probably take at least a year, maybe longer.”