From Staff Reports

HENDERSONVILLE — The advisers guiding the work on the Ecusta Trail learned the location of the Hendersonville trailhead, heard about progress on the paved-path amenities and got a look at a proposed logo that aims to unify the look along the entire 19-mile corridor, the Hendersonville Lightning reported on June 19.

“Most important, they heard the answer — at least for now — to the question everyone is asking.

“‘We are looking at a Thanksgiving or Christmas timeline in order to have the first 6 miles open,’” the Lightning quoted Christopher Todd, Henderson County’s lead manager for the Ecustra Trail, as telling the Rail-Trail Advisory Committee on June 12. 

Meanwhile, the Hendersonville Times-News quoted Henderson County Engineer Marcus Jones as saying the following:

“We’re really excited. It’s going to be a huge asset to our region for recreation, quality of life, even things like economic development.” 

Jones also noted that the first portion of the trail (6 miles) will extend from the visitors center to the Horse Shoe community.

The total cost for the first 6 miles of the trail project is $10.5 million, Jones said.

A groundbreaking for the Ecusta Farm was held in October 2023 at the site of the Veterans Healing Farm in Hendersonville, with “official” construction beginning in December 2023, the HT-N noted.

“When completed, the Ecusta Trail will be a mult-use paved path that will follow the former rail line,” which reportedly has not been in operation for nearly two decades, the newspaper stated. “Jones said the rail line was originally owned by Norfolk Southern before it was sold to Watco. It was most recently purchased by Conserving Carolina with the intention of preserving the land. Conserving Carolina has leased the land to Henderson County for its portion of the project and to Brevard for the Transylvania County portion of the trail.” 

Further, the HT-N reported:

“According to Jones, the City of Hendersonville has already made changes to Main Street to accommodate the new trail, including restriping the road to add bike lanes and a sidewalk.

“‘That will get you from downtown Hendersonville and all the parking and shops and amenities dowtnown to the Ecusta Trail, which is just south of downtown,’ Jones said. ‘They’ve already been striped and done and (are) ready for us to finish the trail construction.’”

As for getting the bicyclists and pedestrians “safely from the Ecusta Trail to downtown,” the Hendersonville Lightning on June 19 reported that the “road diet” involving the narrowing of the city’s South Main Street from five lanes to two — and adding a 10-foot-wide bike lane and 27 angled parking spaces — is “proceeding quickly.”