Feasibility Studies

The purpose of this study would be to assess the feasibility of constructing a 10’-12’ multi-use path facility for Phases 2 and 3 of the Wilmington Downtown Trail. The Downtown Trail will eventually connect the River to Sea Bikeway to the future Multimodal Transportation Center, Cape Fear Community College, and the Riverwalk. In between these locations, the trail will provide a recreational facility for several communities in proximity to the downtown. The project currently consists of three phases. The first phase, from 3rd Street to Archie Blue Park, is in the preliminary engineering phase.

The purpose of this study would be to assess the feasibility of constructing a 10’-12’ multi-use path facility in the Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor from Phoenix Park in Navassa to Brunswick Nature Park in unincorporated Brunswick County. The Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor is designated as a Cultural Heritage Area by U.S. Congress, presenting an opportunity to educate the public about the history of the Gullah Geechee people and highlight historical sites within Brunswick County.

Kure Beach and NCDOT’s Integrated Mobility Division (IMD) initiated the Island Greenway Feasibility Study to explore future options for roughly 4 miles of continuous paved trail and/or bike boulevard running from the southern terminus of the existing Island Greenway to the Fort Fisher Ferry Terminal as part of the East Coast Greenway.

The study considers alignment and height alternatives for the replacement of the existing 4-lane steel, center-span, vertical-lift bridge. The proposed bridge replacement would consist of a 6‐lane median‐divided facility with a barrier‐separated multi‐use path. The project is needed to accommodate local population increases and truck traffic for the Port of Wilmington. A new bridge will improve traffic flow, and provide bicycle/pedestrian connectivity across the river.

The City of Wilmington, the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the NC Department of Transportation directed that a study be performed to investigate the feasibility of realigning the existing CSXT railroad line that traverses in a “V” shape through the City. Moving this line will provide a new location for rail access to the Port, and offer the potential of repurposing the existing CSXT railroad corridor for transit use.