It's official: Phase I of Assawoman Trail opens
Officials gathered Aug. 12 to cut a ribbon officially opening the Assawoman Canal Trail in what is hoped to be one of several trail openings in southeastern Sussex County over the coming years.
In his remarks to the large crowd assembled near the trailhead in his town, Ocean View Mayor Walter Curran stressed that the trail was Phase I of a project to link several communities.
Gov. Jack Markell was joined by Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary David Small, Mary Ridgeway, Federal Highway Administration division administrator for Delaware, and other community leaders and groups at the ceremony. The one-mile trail is part of a regional network of trails, sidewalks and pathways for pedestrians and bicyclists, linking communities that share a boundary with the trail.
In the works for seven years, the trail will connect Ocean View, Bethany Beach and South Bethany, and the communities of Sea Colony and Bahamas Beach Cottages.
“From concept through construction, this project is an excellent model of collaboration among the community, local, state and federal governments,” Small said. “We have worked toward a common vision and implemented it."
“This trail is only possible because of the hard work and commitment of engaged community members who recognize that this is an opportunity to enhance the quality of life in Sussex County,” Markell said.
"It is very exciting to see this first phase of the Assawoman Trail completed,” said Carol Olmstead, Assawoman Canal Trail team member and former Bethany Beach mayor. “It is truly a collaborative effort that, in time, will connect our local neighborhoods in a unique way, providing a natural setting and a close-up glimpse of the canal and its environment for walkers and bikers."
The Delaware Department of Transportation, a partner with DNREC in Markell’s State Trails and Pathways Initiative, provided trail access to Route 26 and constructed the crosswalk at Central Avenue in Ocean View. DelDOT will continue to partner on future phases of the canal trail.
DNREC's Bob Ehemann said talks have started with DelDOT for future path extensions, including safe access of Route 26, which could involve an underpass. He said officials have more work to do including construction of a kayak launch near the trailhead, development of a trail watch team and a 1.5-mile trail connection to South Bethany.
More than $786,000 of the total $955,000 cost of the trail was provided by the Federal Recreational Trail Program with state trail and pathway bond bill funds making up the remaining $169,000.
The Assawoman Canal is a 4-mile waterway linking Indian River and Little Assawoman bays. DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation owns and manages the nearly 100-acre property, which is part of Delaware Seashore State Park.
The 8-foot-wide trail meanders through the property, with a natural crushed stone surface. A 20-foot vegetative buffer on either side offers residents privacy and helps prevent potential future erosion. The trail is accessible via Town Road, Osprey Lane and Central Avenue. A small parking lot and restroom are available at the Town Road trailhead next to the Bethany Beach Surf Shop in Ocean View.
