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West Ashley Greenway

Coordinates: 32°47′13″N 80°01′45″W / 32.78694°N 80.02917°W / 32.78694; -80.02917
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West Ashley Greenway
Length8.8 mi (14.2 km)
LocationCharleston, South Carolina, United States
TrailheadsMain Road
Folly Road
UseCycling, walking, hiking, jogging, skating
DifficultyEasy
SeasonYear round

The West Ashley Greenway is a rail trail in Charleston, South Carolina. It stretches across the West Ashley neighborhood from Main Road in the west to Folly Road in the east. It is a straight and mostly paved path utilized for walking, jogging, roller skating, and off-street cycling. The distance of the main trail currently covers 8.8 miles (14.2 km).[1] It is a contributing segment of the East Coast Greenway. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Transportation gave the city of Charleston a $18 million grant to build a pedestrian bridge across the Ashley River connecting West Ashley to downtown Charleston.[2] The planned pedestrian bridge may eventually connect with the Lowcountry Lowline.[3]

The former railway, chartered in 1853, was the Croghans Branch of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad.[4] It was abandoned by Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1981 and over time, the City of Charleston entered into leasing agreements with utility companies that took over the right-of-way to allow for public access. The last section of the trail was completed in 2007.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ West Ashley Greenway Plan (Charleston City Government)
  2. ^ Smith, Katie (November 6, 2019). "$18 million grant for Ashley River pedestrian bridge". CHStoday. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  3. ^ "The history of the West Ashley Greenway". CHStoday. May 25, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  4. ^ The Croghans Branch; Johns Island to Albermarle Point, South Carolina (Abandoned Rails.us)
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32°47′13″N 80°01′45″W / 32.78694°N 80.02917°W / 32.78694; -80.02917