Hillsborough’s Riverwalk is only a few weeks away from celebrating its tenth anniversary of opening to the public. Earlier this week, the town’s commissioners heard an update on a future counterpart they hope to open in the coming decade.
The Ridgewalk greenway project was presented to the town commissioners in the summer of 2023 and discussed in depth that September. The goal is to create a north and south-running path to help connect southern neighborhoods like Waterstone, Cornwallis Hills, and Collins Ridge to downtown via the site of Hillsborough’s future train station. Like its counterpart, Riverwalk, it would help provide more recreational opportunities – but the town staff also believe its utility is primarily for alternative transportation because Ridgewalk would create connectivity only available now through cars.
“This is the big one,” said Stephanie Trueblood, the town’s public space and sustainability manager, at Monday’s meeting. “This is the hardest connection that we will have to make, ever, in this town.”
A map of the proposed Ridgewalk greenway in Hillsborough, alongside a cost breakdown of the route alternatives. The original design of the Ridgewalk is in yellow, with the new route alternatives in different colors listed in the legend. (Photo via the Town of Hillsborough.)
During the initial feasibility study and design, Hillsborough staff attempted to make the most direct route avoiding any possible road crossings. Based on the constraints of that initial alignment, and its projected cost, the elected officials requested staff to examine alternatives, as well as further studies to a new paved greenway’s benefits.
Trueblood described the extra year of review as “well worth it” to allow the town staff more time to examine possible routes while balancing ease of access with funding.
“You’ll remember this project faces every constraint in the known universe,” Trueblood said. “[There is the] railroad, high-traffic roadways, overhead power lines, underground utilities, topography constraints, streams, rivers, a nationally registered historic district – everything.
“We were able to find path,” the public space manager concluded, “but the cost estimate showed it would be over 18 million dollars.”
This time, though, Trueblood presented new alternatives that would cost just half as much. No longer constructing tall pedestrian bridges over interstates and rail lines, she shared two alternate routes to reach the Collins Ridge portion of the greenway and another option for the second segment extending south from the neighborhood.
Alternative 1 for the northern end will take greenway users under the train trestle at Exchange Club Lane and under the Churton Street bridge to arrive at the future train station on the same grade. Although the option will require a “smart stoplight system” at the trestle, it gained more support from the commissioners and the Parks and Recreation advisory board based on its more direct route to the station.
A map and estimated cost breakdown of the Alternative 1 route for the Ridgewalk greenway. (Photo via the Town of Hillsborough.)
Alternative 3 for the northern end would instead have greenway users go further south – directing traffic along sidewalks down Exchange Club Lane to Orange Grove Road before crossing South Churton Street to eventually reach the train station. Commissioners largely said this option could hinder the effectiveness of potential traffic patterns updates to South Churton Street and is less convenient to users, but they said it could be feasible based on the challenges of working with the rail line for Alternative 1.
“This alternative is basically ‘less greenway, more sidewalk connections,’” said Trueblood. “It is about twice the distance – so you’re talking more like [one] mile instead of half a mile to the train station. But it is less expensive simply because we’re not having to build the section of trail that’s in the rail corridor, and because it’s primarily made of concrete sidewalks instead of asphalt greenway.”
A map and estimated cost breakdown of the Alternative 3 route for the Ridgewalk greenway. (Photo via the Town of Hillsborough.)
The alternate route in the southern half would have the greenway go under the bridge of Interstate 85 beside the rail line and ultimately slope down to reach Cates Creek Parkway’s greenway connection. But Trueblood said this option is completely dependent on NCDOT’s widening project of the interstate, saying the bridge would need to be lengthened during its replacement to create the space for the greenway underneath. The current projected timeline for construction to begin is 2032, she said.
“I think it is a wonderful alternative,” Trueblood added. “Much easier to build, much easier to maintain, much less expensive…you’re talking about moving from an almost $8 million segment to an almost $3 million segment. So, it’s a huge cost-savings [measure]; however, it can’t be completed until I-85 is widened. So, that is something you need to keep in mind.”
A map and estimated cost breakdown of the Alternative 4 route for the Ridgewalk greenway, which would be the southern-most portion. (Photo via the Town of Hillsborough.)
Beyond the feasibility study, the town also conducted a survey of the community and benefit analysis of the Riverwalk in order to compile data on how a new greenway could help and appeal to residents. The survey results were overwhelmingly positive and showed support for a new greenway – while the town’s study showed return on investment of greenways regularly include economic boosts, improved health of residents, and higher property values. With Ridgewalk also aiming to help provide alternate transportation methods, the benefit study listed a likelihood of improved traffic congestion along its north-south roads in town.
Overall, town staff said the project would achieve goals in all of Hillsborough’s current strategic plan and overlap with nearly all of the long-term regional planning frameworks. The commissioners also agreed this project gives Hillsborough the opportunity to capitalize further on the success of Riverwalk, despite its challenges and costs.
“I think we all recognize what Riverwalk has brought to Hillsborough,” said Commissioner Robb English, who commended Trueblood for her diligence on the route options. “I think when people think of Hillsborough now, they think of Riverwalk. And I think a north-south greenway would also just add to opportunities for not only businesses, but people getting north-south in a safer way and we’d benefit tremendously [from] that too.”
Commissioner Kathleen Ferguson said she believes the project’s distant timeline may be a good thing for the town, since she warned about getting “ants in our pants” or over-committed to a major project in case it limits future opportunities. But Ferguson added that she is “thrilled” by the prospects of having multiple ways to move north and south through the communities beyond Hillsborough’s major corridors.
“At the regional level, we’re still looking at regional bike-ped connectivity, we’re still looking at a regional master plan,” she said. “Having this is going to be really helpful to fit into that master plan — because the vision still is to be able to connect one end of the region to the other, where there are options other than cars. This is a big piece of that.”
“There’s no doubt about the value to Hillsborough of this project, so I appreciate at the efforts gone into it,” Mayor Mark Bell said to help conclude the board’s comments. “It’s definitely a worthwhile pursuit.”
Ultimately, the Hillsborough commissioners approved the project to advance with the support of Alternative 1 on the northern side and Alternative 4 on the southern side. Trueblood said the engineering phase would be next for the northern section – which will probably take two years, and then another year for permitting. Construction likely would not begin until 2028-29 – which is also when town’s funding would open up more as the train station project begins to come off its books.
More information on the background of the Ridgewalk project can be found on the town’s website, while Monday’s full meeting of the Board of Commissioners can be found on Hillsborough’s YouTube channel.
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