A gift of $555,000 from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBS) and other funds programmed by Wilmington City Council on Tuesday will enable the completion of the 15-mile Gary Shell Cross-City Trail that is meant to offer pedestrians easy access to popular destinations like parks and schools.
“It’s a big one. A real big one,” Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo said Tuesday of the donation and project. It comes as BCBS pushes a new physical-wellness initiative called “Get Outdoors NC!” slated to allocate $4 million across North Carolina over the next four years, according to information provided by the city.
The Cross-City Trail is a multi-use, mostly off-road path for pedestrians and bicyclists to navigate the city safely (click here for points of interest along the trail). Because it promotes forms transportation other than motor vehicle, it may reduce roadway congestion while giving users a healthy workout, city officials have said.
The estimated amount needed to cover the Cross-City Trail’s final, 1.3-mile link—from Wade Park in south Wilmington to the existing Halyburton Park path at John D. Barry Drive off 17th Street—is $1.33-million. Pairing the BCBS donation with other contributions from the city and state, officials are rendering the link funded. The city on Aug. 21 approved $325,000 in park bond proceeds for the project. The N.C. State Board of Transportation last month approved a full match of that allocation.
To date, 11 miles of the trail are developed and in use. In September the city broke ground near the foot of Teal Street (MAP) for another quarter-mile section that will connect the College Acres neighborhood with Eastwood Road. State grants will cover more than half of the $425,000 expense for that link, according to information from the city, and construction should wrap by the end of this year.
With the BCBS contribution for the final, Wade-to-Halyburton leg, “That’s the private sector stepping up to complete this, I believe, a magnificent asset for our community that’s going to be used for generations to come and get our citizens healthier, too,” Saffo said.
The Shell Cross City Trail, named for the late Gary Shell, a former Wilmington Parks and Recreation director and 22-year city employee, will ultimately wrap from Wade Park to the Wrightsville Beach bridge and serve as a component to the county’s greenway project, which is still in its planning stage.
According to the city, stimulus dollars cover nearly 60 percent of the trail’s $6.83 million cost, while 31 percent–$2.1 million–comes from city park bond funds. The N.C. Department of Transportation has committed $435,000 while state grant money and private contributions round out the total.
A printable trail map and brochure is available here.
