More than seven years after the City of Durham bought an inactive railroad corridor with plans of turning it into a trail, the Durham Rail Trail is in its final stages of design.
The Durham City Council heard a presentation during its Thursday work session on the project timeline and amenities, and public art that will be found along the 1.8-mile trail. Construction is set to begin January 2027, with the trail opening to the public June 2028.
The trail will run from “the area around Avondale Drive and Trinity Avenue to just northeast of the Durham Amtrak Station at West Chapel Hill Street, forming a crescent around downtown Durham,” according to the city’s website. The project is projected to cost $45.3 million.
The rail trail is 20 years in the making, something Councilor Carl Rist is mindful of…