The Elizabeth River Trail (ERT) is a multi-use path which currently runs between the Norfolk Naval Station area and Norfolk State University (NSU).

Elizabeth River Trail Source: elizabethrivertrail.org

There have been ongoing efforts to extend the existing ERT, as part of a planned system of trails which, when complete, will run from Richmond to the Virginia Beach oceanfront.  Last year Work Program Architects (WPA) prepared routes for the Elizabeth River Trail Foundation (ERTF) for extending the Elizabeth River Trail from the existing ERT at Dominion Tower [1] to the western terminus of the proposed Virginia Beach trail at the Norfolk / Virginia Beach corporate limit.  This proposed extension would tie in with Virginia Beach’s plans to build a multi-use path in the old Norfolk Southern railroad right-of-way from the Norfolk/Virginia Beach border near Norfolk’s Newtown Road LRT station all the way to the oceanfront.

([1] Given that the existing ERT does not terminate at Dominion Tower, the prepared routes represent changes to the portion of the current ERT between Dominion Tower and NSU.)

In 2022, the City of Norfolk asked HRTPO staff to estimate the costs of the two ERT Extension routes identified by WPA, a recommended route and an alternative route.   The recommended route (dashed red line) follows the Elizabeth River, requiring the construction of a long bridge across Broad Creek.  The alternative route (dashed blue line) crosses Broad Creek farther north where the creek is more narrow, requiring a much shorter bridge. In order to reach this crossing, however, the alternative route must be longer, more circuitous, and more distant from the Elizabeth River.

Elizabeth River Trail – 2022 East Extension Plan, Overall Plan Source: “Elizabeth River Trail – 2022 East Extension Plan” (WPA, 2022)

In order to estimate the costs of the proposed ERT Extension routes, staff developed per-mile regular trail costs from data on existing projects gathered from VDOT’s Six-Year Improvement Program (SYIP). Staff found that trail costs vary by environment, as shown below.

Regular Trail Costs, by Environment (2023) Source: HRTPO staff based on VDOT SYIP cost estimates

Staff used the above per-mile figures (plus bridge costs) to calculate the costs of the two extension options. Although the alternative route (10.6 mi.) is much longer than the recommended route (7.5 mi.), staff found that the costs of the two options would be similar: $53 million for the recommended route vs. $47 million for the alternative route.

Elizabeth River Trail Source: elizabethrivertrail.org

The development of the trail cost model, the application of that model to the two route options, and route issues identified in the process are documented in the recently published HRTPO report titled “Extending the Elizabeth River Trail - Cost Model and Cost Estimates." The report can be accessed here. The model can be used by transportation planners and engineers to cost other trails, and the estimates and issues can be used to guide the extension of the Elizabeth River Trail.

HRTPO staff met with the City of Norfolk staff in January 2023 to present these findings. The City of Norfolk staff plans to meet with the ERT Foundation to discuss these findings and identify the next steps. HRTPO staff will continue to work with the city staff, as needed, in support of the ERT Extension.