MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — On Monday, the City of Martinsburg announced the next steps in expanding the Frog Hollow Trail to join up with a neighboring trail system off Rt. 9.
The City, in partnership with the Berkeley County Commission – WV, the Hagerstown/Eastern Panhandle Metropolitan Planning Organization and WVDOT applied for RAISE grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation to construct the Martinsburg Greenway Trail Project.
Here’s Martinsburg City Manager Andy Blake:
The project builds off the existing Route 9 trail and the Frog Hollow trail:
The city offered its appreciation to community members who offered letters of support, as well as landowners who granted easements to make the project possible. The announcement credits the WVDOT for agreeing to pay for the preparation of the grant application.
“The Project consists of 6.2 miles of new paved 10-foot wide ADA-compliant pedestrian and bicycle shared use paths that follow the natural bends of the Tuscarora Creek and connect multiple city parks, schools, and existing disjointed trails to key local and regional destinations; incorporates desperately needed Tuscarora Creek stream restoration, slope stabilization, and the removal of abandoned and dilapidated structures from Martinsburg’s industrial past, which will transform a series of eyesores into community assets for future generations to enjoy; and, will allow the City to progress on plans to convert the former Lake Thomas quarry into a passive park,” according to the announcement.
Mayor Kevin Knowles talked about benefits of the project:
The overall goals of the Project include providing safe multimodal transportation, improving quality of life and public health by creating access to high-quality green space and trails, connecting key destinations in Martinsburg for people without a vehicle, protecting and preserving the Tuscarora Creek and its surrounding environment, and encouraging brownfield development along the trail including reclaiming the former quarry at Lake Thomas as 40 acres of publicly-accessible open space.
US DOT is scheduled to announce awards by the end of June 2024.
Frog Hollow Trail Extension (Photo – City of Martinsburg)
