Autumn Hall Cross-City Trail ribbon cutting

A ribbon cutting was held on Friday, Feb. 15 at 3 p.m. to mark the completion of one of the most heavily used sections of the Gary-Shell Cross City Trail. The event was held at the Autumn Hall Pond (see map) and included remarks from Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo, Raiford Trask, UNCW Chancellor Gary Miller and new NC Department of Transportation Secretary Tony Tata.

This ¾-quarter mile section of trail runs through Autumn Hall and connects the College Acres neighborhood to the heavily-traveled portion of trail along Eastwood Road. Half of the $435,000 project cost was funded by a state grant. The local Trask family donated property access for the trail. (The photo below shows a portion of the new Autumn Hall trail.)

Like other parts of the trail that make connections at important locations in various parts of town, this section provides a transportation alternative for anyone in the area who wants to travel to or from UNCW or Wrightsville Beach. About 12 miles of the 15-mile trail have been completed so far and is being used not just for recreation, but also biking and walking as an alternative to using a car for transportation.