CAPE CHARLES, Va. (WAVY) — It’s out with the old and in with the new on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
More specifically, it’s out with the rail, in with the trail.
Thursday, more than 100 people gathered at the corner of Mason Avenue and Fig Street in Cape Charles to celebrate the start of construction of the Eastern Shore Rail Trail.
When completed, the nearly 50-mile, 10-foot multi-use path will run from Cape Charles to Hallwood, on the path that for more than 100 years was railroad right-of-way.
The project, funded mostly from federal and state tax dollars, has been touted as a way to connect communities in the way trains once did: by supporting businesses and parks; enhancing tourism and economic growth and promoting safety.
The Eastern Shore Rail Trail Foundation, alongside the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission and the Canonie Atlantic Company have been shepherding the project since not long after the Bay Coast Railroad abandoned the line in 2018.
“So we tried to revitalize the railroad — we wanted to try to get back our customers,” said Ron Wolff, executive director of the Eastern Shore Rail Trail Foundation. “But the actual owner of the railroad at the time did not reinvest in the infrastructure and the rails and the ties. They were in terrible disrepair … so with that, we began the rail banking process, which would preserve the corridor and allow us, if there was ever a need for rail service again, we could bring it back. But in the meantime, we could build this rail trail to use the corridor to its full extent.”
Rail to trail conversions aren’t uncommon. The South Hampton Roads Trail is hosted by a multitude of abandoned railroad rights-of-way.
However, in the case of the Eastern Shore, where Route 13 is the only major transportation route, Wolff remarked how this will improve pedestrian safety too.
“This will provide a safe, alternative place for people to walk, to ride a bike, push a baby carriage, jog, walk your dog in a very, very safe environment,” Wolff said.
Williamsburg-based Branscome, Inc., officially began construction in April on the initial $3.9 million project for the trail’s first two segments: a 2.17-mile stretch through Cape Charles and a 1.4-mile extension into Cheriton.
Wolff is hopeful the first segment will be open by fall.
“This project is about more than just paving a path — it’s a continuation of the railroad,” Wolff said. “We’ve pulled up the ties and tracks, but we’re putting the trail in place to serve a new purpose — to connect people and places.”
