Orange County Receives Grant for New Pedestrian Trail - NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and Weather

Soon people in Orange County could be enjoying a new pedestrian trail.

It's all thanks to a grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

Nothing is etched in stone yet. Now, Leigh Mawyer, the tourism manager for Orange County, says it's a matter of getting the OK from Norfolk Douthern.

"We're hoping that we can get it in the Norfolk Southern right away,” Mawyer said.

A portion of the funds will go toward a study related to the project. 

"To work up a proposal of the scope of the project and the aerials in the topography so that we have some information to be able to go and have a presentation with Norfolk Southern," Mawyer said.

The potential trail would stretch roughly two miles from Montpelier's East Gate to a trailhead in Orange. It would be built next to rail road tracks.

"It would have a safety fence in between the two with landscaping and everything to make it as safe as possible for everyone…it would make it a lot easier for them to get from the restaurants and the lodging,” Mawyer said.

Mawyer says the tourism department has heard a lot of positive feedback “from residents as well as visitors.”

"I think it would be good, it would have more people come through and see the local beauty of the town,” Elsa Jarvis, who lives in Orange, said.

Upon approval, the rest of the funds will go toward designing the trail.

"It'd be a great idea... I just use the middle of the streets," Jarvis said with laughs.

If approved, Mawyer says the trail could take at least a couple of years to complete.

The Orange County Department of Tourism hopes to have its study done by the fall.