THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, September 26, 1995 TAG: 9509260300
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: KILL DEVIL HILLS LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
Bikers, joggers and skaters soon will be able to safely pursue their hobbies in the shadow of the Wright Brothers National Memorial.
Bids will be awarded in about two weeks for a mile-long, multi-use trail in this beach community.
Plans call for a 10-foot-wide path from the southern end of First Street to the intersection of Ocean Bay Boulevard and Veterans Drive.
In addition, a 5-foot-wide path will continue along the length of Veterans Drive to First Flight elementary and middle schools.
``This is something that has been in the works for about 4 1/2 years,'' said Kill Devil Hills Mayor Terry Gray. ``This is going to be something that is of great benefit to residents and visitors to Kill Devil Hills. It's going to provide a safe place, not only for bikers and joggers and skaters, but for schoolchildren who travel to and from the First Flight Schools.''
A number of agencies and individuals were involved in the push for a new multi-use path, including the National Park Service, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the Dare County Tourist Bureau and the town of Kill Devil Hills. Mr. and Mrs. Wallace McCown granted an easement through their property for the path.
The cost of the facility will not be known until bids are issued. Funding will come from the Department of Transportation and the tourist bureau. The Transportation Department will reimburse the town for construction costs.
The tourist bureau's executive director, Robert Middlebrooks, praised the town for its efforts.
``Kill Devil Hills has always been a great partner when it comes to projects like this,'' he said. ``This speaks well for the town's leadership.''
The benefits of the path far outweigh the financial costs, State Transportation Board member R.V. Owens III said.
``We need more paths like this,'' he said. The Department of Transportation, he said, ``has a budget of $2.5 billion. The cost of this path is a small price to pay, not only for tourists and residents, but for schoolchildren who won't have to get on the bypass when they go back and forth to school.''
Construction will begin shortly after the bid process is done. Completion is expected late this year. by CNB