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STRASBURG -- The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation is done locating the dots, and is now ready to connect them along its approximately 14-mile plan to link the Fishers Hill Battlefield to the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park.
The foundation, along with officials from Roanoke architectural firm Hill Studio, held a public meeting Tuesday night at the Strasburg Town Hall to unveil conceptual plans for the biking, hiking and equestrian trail. Construction of the first phase, at Ramseur's Hill within the Fishers Hill battlefield, will begin in the spring and be complete before the end of 2011, said Glenn Stach, a preservation landscape architect.
The project is being funded through stimulus funds and the Virginia Department of Transportation. The initial phases -- Ramseur's Hill and where the battlefield and U.S. 11 meet -- have been awarded $1.2 million, and funding for future phases is being solicited, including through additional grant requests.
John Hutchinson, the project manager and director of preservation and planning for the foundation, said the entire project will cost between $8 million and $9 million. However, the cost includes miles of trailwork within Ramseur's Hill and the area around Fishers Hill and U.S. 11 that are not tallied with the 14 miles of the new trail itself.
The project will run from Ramseur's Hill to U.S. 11 and cross under the roadway at a reconstructed or preserved bridge at Tumbling Run, and then connect with a trail built by Strasburg along the Shenandoah River before ending at the Keister Tract north of town.
"The bridge is certainly a keynote to this entire project," Stach said.
Plans for signs, usage and trail surfaces were all a part of Wednesday's meeting. For signs, some will help visitors understand the topography of the area by going beyond a two-dimensional map.
"Being able to look and feel and touch that landscape would literally be the goal there," Stach said.
As for surfaces, field areas will have reinforced soil with a grass turf mixture, while spots near wooded areas or along roads will have a soil stabilizer and crushed granite, making it better for bicyclists, he said.
A steering committee that has met this year advised officials that it wanted to ensure safety, management and maintenance of the trail while also protecting and interpreting natural and cultural landscapes. The foundation is committed to doing those things, it states in a fact sheet.
Stach said another benefit of the trail will be its ability to attract people to Strasburg, promoting economic development. Town Councilwoman Sarah Mauck, who is on the steering committee, has said Strasburg will get a boost for being "right smack dab in the middle" of the trail.
The initial phases are on foundation-owned land, but discussions with private landowners are ongoing, and some have already agreed to locate the trail on their property, Hutchinson said.
The foundation, along with officials from Roanoke architectural firm Hill Studio, held a public meeting Tuesday night at the Strasburg Town Hall to unveil conceptual plans for the biking, hiking and equestrian trail. Construction of the first phase, at Ramseur's Hill within the Fishers Hill battlefield, will begin in the spring and be complete before the end of 2011, said Glenn Stach, a preservation landscape architect.
The project is being funded through stimulus funds and the Virginia Department of Transportation. The initial phases -- Ramseur's Hill and where the battlefield and U.S. 11 meet -- have been awarded $1.2 million, and funding for future phases is being solicited, including through additional grant requests.
John Hutchinson, the project manager and director of preservation and planning for the foundation, said the entire project will cost between $8 million and $9 million. However, the cost includes miles of trailwork within Ramseur's Hill and the area around Fishers Hill and U.S. 11 that are not tallied with the 14 miles of the new trail itself.
The project will run from Ramseur's Hill to U.S. 11 and cross under the roadway at a reconstructed or preserved bridge at Tumbling Run, and then connect with a trail built by Strasburg along the Shenandoah River before ending at the Keister Tract north of town.
"The bridge is certainly a keynote to this entire project," Stach said.
Plans for signs, usage and trail surfaces were all a part of Wednesday's meeting. For signs, some will help visitors understand the topography of the area by going beyond a two-dimensional map.
"Being able to look and feel and touch that landscape would literally be the goal there," Stach said.
As for surfaces, field areas will have reinforced soil with a grass turf mixture, while spots near wooded areas or along roads will have a soil stabilizer and crushed granite, making it better for bicyclists, he said.
A steering committee that has met this year advised officials that it wanted to ensure safety, management and maintenance of the trail while also protecting and interpreting natural and cultural landscapes. The foundation is committed to doing those things, it states in a fact sheet.
Stach said another benefit of the trail will be its ability to attract people to Strasburg, promoting economic development. Town Councilwoman Sarah Mauck, who is on the steering committee, has said Strasburg will get a boost for being "right smack dab in the middle" of the trail.
The initial phases are on foundation-owned land, but discussions with private landowners are ongoing, and some have already agreed to locate the trail on their property, Hutchinson said.
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