CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A new path in Chesapeake is giving pedestrians their own lane. City crews are preparing to build out the second phase of the Western Branch Trail.
“It’s something new for our neighborhood,” Chesapeake resident Deborah Graves told 13News Now.
Graves said she and her family couldn’t wait for the first section of the trail to open right in front of her home.
With the first section going from the Portsmouth-Chesapeake line to Dordon Street, Graves said her family uses it often.
“It gives us easy access to get some exercise," she said. "I see a lot of people that are riding their bicycles.”
She’s also looking forward to the trail’s extension which city officials are working to develop.
The second phase will start at Dordon Street and end at Taylor Road. There will be a connection to Peppercorn Drive and Arboretum Trail for neighborhood access. It will include benches, bike racks, tire pumping/bicycle repair stations and kiosks.
The second section will eventually be connected to the planned third phase that will run from Taylor Road to Chesapeake's city line with Suffolk.
Sean Marsden, a project manager with the city’s transportation design team, said this is part of a regional effort to build a trail across several cities.
“The ultimate vision is for somebody in Driver to be able to ride their bike all the way to the [Virginia Beach] Oceanfront or any point in between,” Marsden said.
Marsden said construction on phase two could take about six months. This project is being funded by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). He hopes crews can start working this summer once approved by VDOT.
Right now, city staff are looking for public feedback on phase 2. You can weigh in online until March 11.