BELVILLE — A small Brunswick County town is working on two multi-use paths to improve infrastructure and connectivity to other municipalities in anticipation of fast-paced expansion.
In 2020, Belville began its project to construct two multi-use paths to connect neighborhoods, schools and town amenities along Highway 133. The Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization awarded Belville $350,000 for the development and Belville contributed $70,000, 20% of the project’s anticipated cost at the time.
On Friday, commissioners will request an additional $151,839 from the WMPO to help fill an $181,799 funding gap for the 1.15-mile project. Belville would provide the remaining $37,960, a 20% contribution required by the grant.
One path will go from the Rice Hope neighborhood to Belville Elementary School and the other will connect the school to the Hawkeswater neighborhood. The ten feet wide paths will allow for bike and pedestrian travel and be located on the west side of Highway 133.
In October 2023, the WMPO also approved a $1,230,888 grant toward safety improvements for the NC-133 crossing at Belville Riverwalk Park and Belville Elementary School. The project includes a new traffic signal with crosswalks, ADA ramps, a curb for the southern entrance of the school, relocation of the existing entrance to Belville River Park and reconfiguration of its existing parking lot to provide multimodal connections. Belville will contribute $307,722.
In Belville’s request for WMPO funding for the safety project, the town said the need for the project arose from complaints about increased congestion along N.C. 133 between the school and US 74/76. The request noted the Belville Riverwalk Park is directly across the street from the school, but there is a safety risk to cross the road and residents cannot walk or ride bikes to the park.
The portion of N.C. 133 near the school has an average daily traffic volume of 14,500 trips; the town noted the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office is often called to help manage traffic during high-volume events.
WMPO executive director Mike Kozlosky said the projects align with the WMPO’s 2022-2026 strategic business plan, which includes a focus on expanding multimodal transportation. He noted they coincide with the ongoing N.C. 133 expansion project anticipated for completion in June 2024. It will increase capacity by adding lanes on each direction of the highway between Blackwell and Old River roads.
Kozlosky agreed expansion of multi-use pathways would provide better access between the municipalities.
The WMPO receives around $4 million from the Federal Highway Administration for the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program, which it then doles out to its partner municipalities through a competitive process. Belville requested grant assistance for the multi-use paths and was awared funds by the WMPO in 2017.
Mayor Mike Allen told Port City Daily the town selected S&C Construction for the multi-use paths project and has completed the design but is in need of additional funds for construction due to recent inflation. He anticipates the project will complete in January or February of 2025 and said it aims to improve interconnectivity with Leland as well.
Belville was incorporated in 1977. Its population multiplied from 285 in 2000 to around 2,600 currently. The mayor told PCD he expects Belville’s population to double in the next two years.
He anticipates projects including the new 400-unit Waterford Village and 291-unit Westport Lofts residential developments will bring an influx of young residents to live in the town and commute to nearby municipalities for work. Westport Lofts, near Hawkeswater neighborhood, will also include a multi-use path. He also said Belville is in the early stages of planning developments for a downtown area.
“We’ve got to provide opportunities on this side of the river,” the mayor said, “an avenue where younger people can find jobs, a place to work. But we’ve got to build an infrastructure that they want to come to.”
Allen served as a commissioner from 2009 until he became mayor in 2012. He also serves as Belville’s representative on the WMPO board, which he said has helped him provide input on the town’s infrastructure needs and provide a better perspective on local projects.
The town is working with the WMPO on plans regarding the Gullah Geechee Heritage Trail project; the majority of Belville was once part of the 280-acre Belville Plantation used for rice farming. The WMPO is currently working on a 14-mile feasibility study to inform options for the Brunswick County trail. The study goes from Phoenix Park to Brunswick County Nature Park, which is about 7 miles away from Belville, and is expected to be completed in June 2024.
Because Brunswick County Nature Park is also on Highway 133, Kozlosky said it is likely the two multi-use paths will integrate with the future heritage trail.
Tips or comments? Email journalist Peter Castagno at peter@localdailymedia.com.
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