Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010

New trail cheaper than expected

Construction of a one-mile stretch of greenway along the Neuse River will cost less than expected, so the project could get upgrades, including a parking lot.

Last week, the Town Council awarded the construction project to the J.W. Grand company, which has an office in Clayton. The project will cost about $443,300.

Originally, the town had budgeted $600,000 for construction.

"This low bid allows us to potentially add some scope of work to the project," said Town Manager Steve Biggs.

The initial plans for the trail didn't include a parking lot because town leaders didn't think they would have enough money, Biggs said. But now they could build a trailhead and a parking area near O'Neil Street.

Without a trail entrance in the area, Biggs said, access would be hard.

Construction is expected to begin in the coming weeks and could take about four months.

The N.C. Department of Transportation and Clayton are also building a 3.5-mile stretch of greenway from the Wake County line to the future trail in the Sam's Branch Creek area.

The greenway will be part of the Mountains to Sea Trail, which will stretch from Western North Carolina to the Outer Banks when it's finished.