On August 20, the Virginia Department of Transportation opened the first completed segment of the Eastern Shore ‘Rail to Trail’ or ESRT pathway to the public.
[Above photo via Virginia DOT]
Built as part of a $3.9 million Virginia DOT contract now underway to deliver the first two segments of the ESRT in Northampton County, the newly completed Cape Charles Segment provides residents and visitors with a new 2.2-mile shared-use path for walking and bicycling between Cape Charles and Route 13. [Editor’s note: In May, the Virginia DOT released a revised Statewide Multiuse Trails Plan, providing a foundation for the development of a connected trail network for the Commonwealth. That plan – a culmination of over two years of research – combined public engagement and technical analyses, including a data inventory of over 1,500 current and 2,900 planned miles of trails across Virginia, plus spatial analyses and practical insights for local jurisdictions.] The agency noted in a statement that its “longstanding vision” is to build a 49.1-mile trail that will eventually stretch from Cape Charles to Hallwood. Construction of the project’s 1.4 mile-long Cheriton Segment remains underway, as the contractor completes the final remaining items on the project, including signage and pavement markings required in order to safely open this segment to the public. That work is currently anticipated to be completed in mid-fall, Virginia DOT noted.
Other state departments of transportation are also pursuing similar trail construction projects. For example, in July, the Utah Department of Transportation started construction on a 1.9 mile-long multi-use trail that will extend from 500 North – also known as State Route 121 – to U.S. Highway 40 and will also connect to an existing undercrossing under 500 North, making it easier for students to reach several school campuses in the area, including Uintah High School, Terra Academy, Central Cove Early Learning Center, Uintah Basin Technical College, and Utah State University Uintah Basin-Vernal Campus. The agency noted that this is the second Utah Trail Network project to begin construction, as in May it began building the first one in Moab, UT. Once complete, the 0.7-mile Moab trail will help keep people off the highway and along the river; creating a safer and more continuous route to recreation destinations like Grandstaff Canyon and the “Whole Enchilada” biking route. In June, the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities launched the Alaska Trails and Local Access System or ATLAS
program; a new initiative that will unify the department’s efforts to improve trail access, connectivity, and outdoor recreation opportunities across Alaska.
The agency said that, as part of the governor’s Administrative Order 361, responsibility for administering the federal Recreational Trails Program transferred from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources to the Alaska DOT&PF in October 2025. Under the ATLAS initiative, that program will now be administered as the Multi-Use Trails Program. And in May, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation held a celebration for the completion of a 0.9-mile extension of the Neponset River Greenway trail; part of a statewide effort to provide more access to “greenspace” to state residents.
Infrastructure
