This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.
HENDERSONVILLE - The first stretch of the Ecusta Trail, the 6-mile “east section” that begins on South Main Street in downtown Hendersonville and runs to Horse Shoe, should be completed by December.
“We are still hoping we will have it completed by the holidays,” said Marcus Jones, director of engineering for Henderson County.
The contractor is about halfway through the paving process for the east section, Jones said, and work is still being done on features such as retaining walls and safety markers.
“I would not say that any section (of the six-mile east segment) is complete,” Jones said. “The entire section is a construction zone. The less we interrupt the contractor, the quicker they’ll get it done.”
As for feedback, Jones said most people he talks to just want to know when the 19-mile trail will be finished.
“Folks are so anxious to look at it and get on it,” he added.
The project is on schedule due to “a strong effort” by the contractor, NHM Constructors of Asheville, as well as staff and NCDOT, Jones said, and all of the agencies involved are hearing the sense of urgency from the community.
The project still has a few months to go, however, and Jones cautioned that weather could always become a factor in the construction process.
More: Ecusta Trail milestone: 6 new bridges are being installed in Henderson County
Design work is “well underway” for the west section, a five mile stretch from Horse Shoe to the Henderson/Transylvania county line, Jones said.
Work on that portion should go out to bid in late April of 2026, with construction planned to begin in the summer of 2026. Officials are hoping that the section of trail on the Transylvania County side that ends in Brevard will should be completed by 2027.
The project is funded by federal dollars and tourism money, Jones said, and volunteers have also contributed to the trail. Lynn Huffman, vice president of Friends of the Ecusta Trail, said nearly 100 volunteers have logged work hours since 2022, primarily during seven trail clean-up days.
But the trail building has not been without controversy. A group of landowners sued the federal government in 2021, with an amendment filed in 2022, disputing the use of their property to build the trail.
Plaintiff's attorney Lindsay Brinton in a June 6 statement said many of the landowners were "disheartened" by the loss of their property.
“They shared concerns of trespassing, loss of privacy, loss of river access and impact on farming operations," Brinton previously told the Asheville Citizen Times.
After a May 31 award in U.S. Federal Claims Court to the 164 landowners in Henderson and Transylvania counties, each landowner will be paid $5 million by the federal government.
More: US government to pay $5M to Ecusta Trail landowners who brought suit over greenway
The award will not affect the construction, the cost or the timeline of the estimated $50 million trail, already underway , Henderson County officials said.
No work days are currently planned due to construction, she added, but “we are ready to help as soon as the first six miles are open in Henderson County."
Amenities in the works
As paving continues, the plan for parking and bathrooms along the trail is still coming together. Jones said private property owners along the trail are offering parking, including at least two who are charging for their access points.
But there are plenty of free parking options as well, especially in downtown Hendersonville at the Visitors Center, in the new parking garage and other locations, he added.
Part of the design contract for the trail includes looking at what trail amenities are needed, such as bathrooms, benches and trash receptacles.
Jones said they are looking at areas along the trail where there aren’t parking or restrooms close by, and staff are working with nearby businesses to determine what options are available. At this point in the process, they aren’t sure yet if bathrooms will be built.
The Ecusta Trail Advisory Board recently discussed other amenities, such as bike racks, benches and trash cans, that could be included in the project.
In his September “Trail Talk” newsletter, John Lanier reported that federal funds could only be used for certain amenities, such as bike racks, trash receptacles, benches, information signs and kiosks and mile markers.
Other amenities, including bike repair stations at a cost of $800 to $2,500, and drinking fountains at a cost of between $2,500 and $7,000, would not be covered by federal funds.
Bathrooms, Lanier said, could be paid for with federal dollars if they are in the federal footprint right of way. But large shelters, overlooks, gateway features and interpretive exhibits are not funded by grant money, the newsletter said.
Visit www.ecustatrail.org/ for more information and updates about the project or to read the “Trail Talk” newsletters.
More: Community celebrates groundbreaking of first 6-mile stretch of Ecusta Trail
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: 1st Hendersonville Ecusta Trail section could open December: 'People anxious to get on it'
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