The city of Raleigh has announced that construction of the Ratchford Drive greenway connection is now complete and open to the public. Dewberry, a privately held professional services firm, completed designs for the project, which began in 2019.
Dewberry’s services included wetland delineation and a jurisdictional determination, subsurface utility engineering, surveying, and geotechnical investigation for the chosen alignment from the realignment option report. Additionally, the firm provided construction documents and easement exhibits, bidding assistance, limited construction administration, and permitting, including 401/404, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and City of Raleigh Development Services. Prior to completion of the project, the existing wooden structure was in the floodway and had failed in three locations. The new alignment goes from the existing Crabtree Creek trail along a sanitary sewer line, crossing a tributary to Crabtree Creek, and along the edge of Ratchford Drive within the right-of-way before it ties back into the existing Crabtree Trail.
“This connection point is critical to the flow of the Crabtree Creek Greenway Trail and the greater Capital Area Greenway system,” says Dewberry Senior Project Manager Pam Kistner, PE. “As a local to the area, I’m personally thrilled that this project is complete and community members now have great access to the Crabtree Creek Greenway system, which provides 12.2 miles of trails around the northern part of downtown Raleigh.”
