Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 22, 1993 TAG: 9310220367
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The Commonwealth Transportation Board announced Thursday the Huckleberry Trail will be among three New River Valley projects to receive grants totaling $630,000 to restore historic sites.
The panel also allocated $136,000 to re-establish the Ingles Ferry, a pedestrian ferry across the New River between Radford and Pulaski County, and to restore the Ingles Tavern near Radford.
In Pulaski County, $40,000 will go toward safety improvements and parking at New River Trail State Park.
Project backers believe the three projects, among 37 approved by the state, will create a significant boost for tourism in the New River Valley.
The Huckleberry Trail share will be $453,424 to build a combination bicycle and walking path from the Blacksburg library to the New River Valley Mall.
"Wow, that's great news!" said Bill Ellenbogen, president of Friends of the Huckleberry. "It's the culmination of many people's efforts."
Ellenbogen said much of the engineering work for the project has been completed, and he hopes construction can begin next summer. He estimated it would take about a year to complete the trail.
One big hurdle: trail backers still must get approval to build a bridge over the Norfolk Southern tracks that cross the trail route at an abandoned trestle just north of the Corning plant in Christiansburg.
Meanwhile, Radford Heritage Foundation chairman Bud Jeffries called approval of the Ingles Ferr project money "the first step in a dream come true."
The city had applied for the grant and has already pledged another $29,000 of its own money plus $5,000 in in-kind services.
"This is a great day for the city of Radford," he declared.
The project also would revive a nearly 3,000-foot section of the Wilderness Road, a trail used by early settlers as they moved west through the New River Valley.
While Jeffries concedes the project is only a vision at this point, plans call for developing an interpretive walking trail along the path of the Wilderness Road near "The Long Way Home" outdoor drama amphitheater on Radford's east end.
It would also re-establish an 18th century ferry connection - 600 feet across the New River - between Radford and Pulaski County.
"I see this as becoming a living history type of thing, like Williamsburg," said Jeffries, an Ingles family descendant.
The money approved for the New River Trail State Park in Pulaski County will enable safety improvements to the trail where it intersects with Virginia 693 and will provide public parking at Allisonia and Hiwassee.
\ WESTERN VIRGINIA PROJECTS FUNDING APPROVED
Rocky Mount center $54,000 to acquire, renovate and expand the Rocky Mount railway station as a welcome center and area museum.
Talking highway $66,648 to plan and develop a traveler's information system "talking highway" that would use low-power radio transmitters to provide interpretive information on natural and historical highlights along U.S. 58 from Cumberland Gap to Hampton Roads.
Riverfront project $743,680 to Lynchburg and Amherst County to revitalize the downtown riverfront area and connect a natural recreational trail to downtown and a proposed city park.
Hungry Mother $120,000 to develop the Hungry Mother Creek trail in Smyth County, from Hungry Mother State Park to the Middle Fork of the Holston River, about five miles.
by CNB