Durham, N.C. –  On Thursday, July 31, Governor Josh Stein announced that the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has awarded nearly $11 million in grants to 37 trail development and restoration projects across the Piedmont through the Great Trails State Program (GTSP). Durham County was selected as a grant recipient and awarded $500,000, the maximum award amount issued under the program, to support the continued development of the planned Durham-to-Roxboro Rail Trail project. 

Durham County will use the grant to fund the acquisition of the 26-mile rail corridor that will be converted to a bike and pedestrian trail that will connect Durham with Roxboro. The $500,000 award will be used to support a portion of Durham County’s funding for the acquisition of the rail corridor that runs from the City of Durham, through unincorporated areas of Durham and Person Counties, and ends in Roxboro. The future trail will provide active and healthy transportation opportunities and will provide greater access to recreational and conservation lands, historic and cultural resources, and education and employment centers for residents in both counties. A trail planning study for the 18-mile Durham County segment is currently underway.

The remaining portion of the cost of acquisition for the corridor will be supported by other revenues, with design and construction work on the trail to follow completion of the acquisition and planning process.

“We are incredibly grateful to the General Assembly for creating this funding opportunity and elated that Durham County will benefit from the additional grant funding. Acquisition of this corridor and the development of a trail has been a long-standing priority of Durham County, and it is also part of state and national trail networks. This state grant helps us continue to advance this significant project to transform an unused rail line into a transportation and recreational asset for residents,” says Ellen Beckmann, Durham County Transportation Director.

Established by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2023, the GTSP is a historic investment of $25 million in the state’s trails. The program offers matching grants to local governments, nonprofits, regional Councils of Governments, and other public authorities. These grants support planning, construction, and improvement of local and regional trails, including walking and bicycling paths, hiking and mountain biking trails, equine trails, and paddle trails.

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