Fall Line Trail

Project Status: Underway


Magisterial District:   Fairfield  

History

The Fall Line Trail is a regional multi-use trail that has had an evolutionary nature. Though taking on several names throughout the history of its development, this trail will serve the Richmond region in many capacities. One of the first pieces in materializing the Fall Line Trail was the construction of the first phase of the Trolley Line Trail in the Town of Ashland in 2018. A second phase of this trail was completed in the Fall of 2020, extending the trail to the southern town limits. In the planning discussions for the Ashland Trolley Line Trail, the idea for an expansion of the Trolley Line Trail into a multi-jurisdictional trail came to fruition. This idea also became a connection point for the East Coast Greenway which spans from Maine to Florida.

 

Over time, the concept of constructing a multi-use trail that will span seven localities was established and referred to as the Ashland to Petersburg Trail. The trail is proposed to pass through urban, rural and suburban terrain making it unique compared to previously built trails. VDOT initiated the Ashland to Petersburg Trail Study to identify a preferred corridor for a multi-use trail. Once completed, the paved, multi-use trail will span approximately 43 miles between Ashland and Petersburg, including  a portion of northern Henrico County in the Fairfield and Brookland Magisterial Districts.. After the establishment of the trail alignment, the trail was announced by Virginia Governor Ralph S. Northam as the Fall Line Trail on October 21, 2020. 

 

Henrico County Segment 

The Henrico County segment is planned to be 7.5 miles long and to be constructed in 8 phases. The County’s trail segment will span from Bryan Park Avenue to Chickahominy River at the boundary line between Henrico County and Hanover County. Henrico County is striving to have it’s segment of the Fall Line Trail to be constructed within 4-5 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Public Involvement 

Public engagement is a crucial part of the Fall Line Trail Planning process. Henrico County and VDOT have held public information meetings related to the trail so far VDOT held its public meetings on March 26, 2019, September 30, 2019, and October 1, 2019 to offer an opportunity for the public to provide input to VDOT on active transportation needs and the preferred trail corridor.

 

On Thursday, September 19, 2019 the Henrico County Department of Public Works held a Public Information Meeting to discuss the Lakeside Community Trail with County residents. Additional Public Information Meetings will be held in the future for the remaining phases of the Fall Line Trail. Dates and times for the meetings will be listed on the County’s website and social media pages.

On Wednesday, September 14, 2022, the Henrico County Department of Public Works held a Public Hearing for the Longdale and Villa Park phases of the Fall Line Trail to discuss project details and amenities to the community. The meeting was held at the Longdale Elementary School and received positive feedback and support. Additional information about these two phases and a virtual presentation can be found on the phase specific webpages.

A public meeting was held at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens on May 16, 2023 for the southern section of Henrico portion of the Fall Line Trail. Meeting materials are linked below.

Lakeside Southern Section Brochure

Fall Line Trail Southern Section Brochure

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Line Trail Walk – June 12, 2021

 

Henrico Sections- Status and Schedule
Phase	Project Limits	Status and Schedule
Section 1: Park Street	Bryan Park Ave to Spring Park	Design is complete.  Awarded VDOT Revenue Sharing funding.  Construction is complete.
Section 2: Lakeside Community Trail Phase I	Spring Park to Dumbarton Rd	Design underway.  Awarded Federal Transportation Alternative Grant funding for construction.   Construction anticipated to begin 4th Quarter, 2024.
Section 3: Lakeside Community Trail Phase II	Dumbarton Rd to Lakeside Recreation Area	Design underway.  Awarded Federal Transportation Alternative Grant funding for construction.  Construction anticipated to begin in 2025.
Section 4: Lakeside Community Trail Phase III	Lakeside Recreation Area to Hilliard Road	Design underway. Construction anticipated to begin in 2025.
Section 5: Brook and Hilliard Road	Hilliard Road to Lakeside Avenue	Design underway.  Awarded Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) and Highway Infrastructure Program (HIP) funding. Construction anticipated to in 2025.
Section 6: Villa Park	Lakeside Avenue to Parham Road	Design underway.  Construction anticipated to begin in 2025.
Section 7: Longdale	Parham Rd to Woodman Rd Extended	Design underway.  Construction anticipated to begin in 2025.
Section 8: Chickahominy River Crossing	Woodman Rd Extended to Cedar Ln (Hanover)	Design underway.  Awarded District Grant Program funding.  Administered by VDOT.