Swamp Rabbit Trail extension will cross Laurens Road with a flyover bridge

The vision for the extension of the Swamp Rabbit Trail along a four-mile stretch of abandoned rail line from Cleveland Park to the Verdae area has for years raised a vexing question: How and where will the trail cross the busy commercial corridor of Laurens Road?

The city of Greenville put aside $1.5 million to solve the problem.

Now the answer is in. A $1.5-million flyover bridge will be built next to the Willy Taco restaurant at the intersection of Laurens and East Washington Street, Greenville City Councilwoman Amy Ryberg Doyle said.

On the other side of Laurens, the bridge — a hybrid pedestrian and cycling path — will connect with city-owned property just yards north of the Spinx gas station near the former East Park Baptist Church.The trail will follow a wooded path parallel to Traxler Street that was once a rail line but is now grown over.

And the bridge is just the beginning, Doyle said.

“We’re now designing the access into Cleveland Park,” she said.

That access will require extensive work as the city tries to ensure as even a grade as possible, and it will likely mean Richland Way, the small street that winds along the Reedy River, will close to cars where it leads through the stone tunnel beneath East Washington.

More: Ask LaFleur: Are new sidewalks in Nicholtown part of Swamp Rabbit Trail?

For months, Greenville County — which is managing the trail extension that has sparked private development from one end to the other — has been in negotiations with private property owners to provide the crucial link that will connect the trail from the foothills of Marietta to the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research and the Verdae community.

The timeline for the "Greenlink Greenway" isn't certain, but the overall project is progressing as expected, said Ty Houck, the county's director of greenways and natural and historic resources.

The location of the bridge is part of a larger picture as the trail spurs redevelopment along the Laurens Road corridor and leaders seek to reduce overcrowding on existing stretches of the trail.

Willy Taco, which opened at the end of 2016, incorporated the trail's potential path into its plans to renovate the old Feed and Seed building across from Spinx, restaurant investor Richard Heatly said.

On the other side of Laurens, downtown's Centre Stage theater had planned to renovate the East Park church into a second theater location, envisioned as "Off Centre." To secure necessary zoning for the project, the theater referenced the trail as creating a "transit-oriented area."

The plan for the church has since been abandoned, Centre Stage executive director Glenda Manwaring said.

“East Park did not work out for us after inspection reports revealed much more needed repair (than was) initially anticipated," she said. "We continue our search for a second facility to meet our ever-growing needs.”

Last year the Spinx Family Foundation bought the church. A spokeswoman for Spinx, Beth Thomason, referred questions about the property to Doyle.

The trail bridge will be built where a railroad trestle once stood over Laurens Road. The trestle was torn down in 1991.

Once the trail passes through the wooded area along Traxler Street, it would reach a bluff that looks over Richland Way. To keep the trail at an even grade, its entry into Cleveland Park will likely take a "serpentine" course, Doyle said.

Because Richland Way is narrow, particularly at the stone tunnel, the street will have to be closed to the point of the trail, she said.

“That is not conducive to both cars and a trail, so we’re going to have to look at that as trail-only usage,” Doyle said.

The design of the trail into the park will be part of the city's upcoming $165,000 Cleveland Park master plan, she said.

Earlier this year, the county began tearing up old rail lines to clear a path for the trail, which altogether will cost in excess of $6 million.

In 2015, the city committed $2.5 million in hospitality tax money to help fund bridges over Laurens Road, Haywood Road and Verdae Boulevard as its share of the project. The city had been holding the money aside in hopes that a planned one-mile extension from Greenville Tech to Lake Conestee sections would be built. The extension would have run along the edge of the Greenville Country Club, which rejected the idea.

Last year the city decided to take $1 million of the Laurens Road extension money to perform trail projects within the city while waiting for the county to start construction.

This coming budget year, the city is setting aside $1.5 million for the flyover bridge now that it is closer to a reality.

Bike advocates see the new bridge as a way to help people move safely an an area becoming more and more dense with redevelopment, said Frank Mansbach, executive director of Bike Walk Greenville.

"We at Bike Walk Greenville believe the use of this segment for active transportation is a great opportunity for our community," he said, "and believe trail usage will exceed the current trail to Travelers Rest."

Elizabeth LaFleur contributed

Follow Eric on Facebook and Twitter @cericonnor