The Town of Chapel Hill provided an update to the construction on the Bolin Creek Trail on Friday.

The contractor for the project is largely working to complete a 500-foot section connecting the trail from one side of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to the other. In its current construction, the path stops underneath a bridge and the gap makes users unable to reach the bank beside the creek, leaving them to cross the busy road above them to continue on the trail.

In the update, the town said the contractor estimates the stretch of trail will be completed in three to four months, depending on the weather. Weather caused the initial delays of the project, with unusually wet years and Hurricanes Florence and Dorian making it unable to work by the creek.

Another factor into the delay of the trail’s completion was the discovery of coal ash at the nearby Chapel Hill Police Department property, which is located just north of Bolin Creek. Remediation efforts have been underway since June 2019 to help rid the site of any remaining deposits and bring in healthy soil. Construction on Bolin Creek Trail began again in October.

To learn more about the Town of Chapel Hill’s remediation of the 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard property, visit its web page for the project.

Photo via Town of Chapel Hill.

Related Stories
‹
Chapel Hill's Vote on 828 MLK Redevelopment Seeks to End 'Hamster Wheel' of Inaction
Chapel Hill's Town Council voted to make a new plan for a future Municipal Services Center. It's step toward addressing coal ash on the site.
Construction, Renovation of Bolin Creek Trail Resumes After Delays
A 550-foot gap has sat in the Bolin Creek Trail for months. Those using the trail have had to cross busy Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to return to the trail instead of crossing under the bridge on the path. Now, after delays from Hurricanes Florence and Dorian and the coal ash remediation project along […]
Draft DEQ Agreement for 828 MLK Boulevard Reaches Final Stages with Public Hearing
Chapel Hill residents shared some final thoughts on data and land use restrictions regarding 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. on Wednesday.
New Chapel Hill Crosswalk Under Construction at Site of Past Pedestrian Collisions
The Town of Chapel Hill and North Carolina Department of Transportation partnered to add a crosswalk, pedestrian island and RRFBs (rectangular rapid flashing beacons) to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Recovery Efforts Underway on Chapel Hill Trails Damaged by Chantal's Floodwaters
Walking his bike through the mess along Bolin Creek Trail, 33-year Chapel Hill resident Loren Hintz said he has never seen a flood this bad. “This is more than Hurricane Fran, and in terms of businesses, I think every business that I’ve talked to the water is three or four feet higher than […]
North Carolina’s Iconic College Town Struggles to Redevelop a Toxic Coal Ash Mound
As the Town of Chapel Hill prepares to redevelop land less than two miles from the University of North Carolina campus, some say a draft cleanup plan fails to adequately protect the public from arsenic, cobalt and other toxic metals that were detected in the greenway in 2013. 
Chapel Hill, DEQ Set to Share Draft Agreement for 828 MLK Boulevard's Coal Ash Remediation
Chapel Hill said the Department of Environmental Quality is preparing a public comment period on 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd for July.
Conversations with the Mayors: Chapel Hill Moves Forward with LUMO Work and New Council Members
The Chapel Hill Town Council held its first meeting of 2024 this week, which also represented the first business meeting with a new council. Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson joined 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey for her weekly “Conversations with the Mayors” segment the following day and shared some highlights from the meeting — and […]
Chapel Hill Details New Intersection for MLK Boulevard, North Street; Work to Begin in January
Major changes are coming to a Chapel Hill intersection to improve pedestrian safety and connection to the town’s future parking deck, with work set to begin within the first week of 2024. The Town of Chapel Hill shared a release with the community on December 21, saying the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard […]
Center for Biological Diversity Affiliate Shares Endorsements, Methodolgy in Chapel Hill's 2023 Races
The Center for Biological Diversity's action fund shared its endorsements in Chapel Hill's 2023 races, largely basing them around one issue.
›