In January 2023, Beth Heile submitted a Feasibility Study Grant application to NCDOT for assistance in clarifying the route between Long View and Hildebran. The direct path of using Hwy 70A was uncertain due to the 100-foot railroad right of way. In February 2023, the NCDOT Integrated Mobility Division announced the Long View and Hildebran project was awarded a $ 62825 Multimodal Feasibility Study grant, as approved by the Board of Transportation.
WPCOG facilitated the meetings with Long View and Hildebran to complete the study led by the firm AECOM. A public input meeting was held on August 1 to allow comment on the proposed route (shown below).
With the study complete, the towns will be in a better position to apply for grant funding for a sidepath or sidewalk.
Burke River Trail is about transportation and in this area walking and biking paths will be very beneficial to connecting residents to jobs, shopping and classes. Long View will be a connection to the App State Hickory Campus and Catawba Valley Community College’s Workforce Innovation Center.