 | Lincoln Herald Staff
lh@lincolnherald.net |
The Carolina Thread Trail Governing Board has announced awards totaling $450,300 in implementation grants for projects along the Thread Trail to the City of Lincolnton, City of Shelby, Catawba Lands Conservancy, Town of McAdenville and several other agencies for trail improvements and expansions. Implementation grants provide funding to communities and nonprofit organizations to assist with trail corridor planning, land acquisition, construction and trail amenities. There are currently over 260 miles of Thread Trail and 170 miles of Thread Trail blueway open to the public throughout a 15-county region in North and South Carolina. These grants were awarded as part of the Thread Trail’s bi-annual grant cycle. To date, the Thread Trail has awarded more than $6 million in catalytic grants to communities. The City of Lincolnton was awarded $5,000 to help cover the costs for the research needed to clarify ownership rights and determine the status of the railroad corridor and other properties in the missing link section between the Marcia Cloninger Rail Trail in Lincolnton and the South Fork Rail Trail at Laboratory. The Catawba Lands Conservancy was awarded $10,800 to cover the transaction costs associated with the Masspoag Property, 14.5 acres that will be home to part of the 1.5-mile segment of trail that will serve as the connector between the South Fork Rail Trail and Marcia Cloninger Rail Trail. The City of Shelby got a $45,000 grant to fund the widening of the First Broad River Trail from 5’ to 10’ to accommodate the high volume of trail users. This 1.5-mile trail runs along the First Broad River from the trailhead at Grover Street to south of W. Dixon Boulevard. The Gaston County town of McAdenville got $2,500 to fund the purchase of a trail easement through two properties along the South Fork River in McAdenville which will facilitate a critical linkage for the Thread Trail’s South Fork corridor connection between Cramerton and McAdenville. Other awards were made to Gaffney, SC, Salisbury, and Wadesboro. |