Town of Chapel Hill, NC
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Morgan Creek Greenway West Section
The $1,270,000 award for the West Section of the Morgan Creek Greenway will supplement $1.1 million in existing 2015 Town greenway bond money to finish the design documents and help with the construction of the West Section.
October 2025 Update
The greenway alignment is being adjusted to reflect the impact of Tropical Storm Chantal, as well as input received from regulatory agencies and project partners.
April 2025 Update
Did you know we're planning an expansion of the Morgan Creek Trail to connect with the Town of Carrboro?
This project is part of our "Everywhere to Everywhere" Mobility and Connectivity Plan to utilize greenway connectors through priority corridors and neighborhoods.
Join us on Thursday, May 29 from 5:30-7pm at the Chapel Hill Public Library, Meeting Room A, for an open house or drop-in style meeting to share your thoughts, and review proposed alignment and timelines for this vital project!
Your input matters—let's shape our future green spaces together! #Greenways #CommunityEngagement
Project representatives from the Town of Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Department and design professionals from Kimley-Horn Engineering will be present to help explain and answer questions.
January 27, 2025 Update
The design plans are underway. Project team members have met with the North Carolina Department of Transportation Department, Chapel Hill Carrboro School District, Town of Carrboro Planning and Transportation, North Carolina Botanical Garden Staff, Town of Chapel Hill Transportation Engineering, and the Office of Mobility and Greenways team members to review the project and the greenway alignment. Project team members have also been in contact with and met with private landowners whose property is adjacent to the greenway.
The public engagement phase of this project is scheduled to commence in Spring-Summer 2025.
March 2024 Update
A contract has been awarded to Kimley-Horn Engineering, Planning and Design Consultants, to complete the planning, design, and construction documents for the Morgan Creek Greenway West Section. Design plans will be shared with the public during a meeting this summer. Design and permitting will continue through Fall 2025. Construction is anticipated to begin next year and continue into Fall 2027.
March 2022 Update
This month, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Board approved $1.27 million to support the Morgan Creek Greenway "West Section" extension project in Chapel Hill.
This section would extend the existing greenway 3,700 feet west to the Carrboro Town line at Smith Level Road. It'll connect directly to the Carrboro segment of the Morgan Creek Greenway that will begin construction soon and the large Carrboro neighborhoods south of North Carolina Highway 54. It'll link directly to Kingswood Apartments and Frank Porter Graham School. This project will require elements such as a large bridge, a small bridge, a large retaining wall, a new parking lot, and flood-resistant construction.
October 2017 Update
The Town has been working on an expansion of the trail and connectivity projects along Morgan Creek in southern Chapel Hill. Currently, the Town operates a 1.6-mile paved trail system (Fan Branch and Morgan Creek Trails). The Fan Branch Trail connects the southern tip of Southern Community Park with the Morgan Creek Trail. The existing Morgan Creek Trail extends from Merritt's Pasture to a parking lot just east of Kingswood Apartments.
Following is an update on progress and setbacks related to the Morgan Creek Trail project
February 2017 Kick off and Update
A public forum was held to present preliminary concepts for the three segments of the Morgan Creek Trail project. Staff and the design firm shared current thinking on how to proceed. We gathered input and comments from the public to be analyzed before developing a more detailed plan. This important meeting will help set the future direction of these projects.
Following are materials that were shared at the meeting.
- Illustrative Boards
- 25% Plans showing Morgan Creek Trail Eastward from Merritt's Pasture to Otey's Drive
- 25% Plans showing Morgan Creek Trail Westward from the Existing Parking Lot to Carrboro
- 25% Plans showing the Proposed Bridge at Ashe Place and Arboretum Drive (Read More)