paved greenway trail

Parks and Recreation

Big Branch Greenway Connector

3.5+ Mile Greenway Trail

The City of Raleigh is moving forward with a major new greenway trail project. The Big Branch Greenway Connector will expand our greenway system by more than three miles, creating a safer and more connected way to walk, run, or bike through Midtown and nearby neighborhoods.

We’ve gathered community input, studied possible route options, and are now preparing to finalize the trail alignment and advance design.

Over the past year, the City held outreach for four segments of the Big Branch Connector. Hundreds of residents shared ideas at open houses, pop-up events, and through online surveys.

In the most recent survey, over 1,600 people gave feedback on possible routes for Segment 1. View the survey results.

What’s Next

This summer, the proposed trail alignment will be reviewed and voted on:

Why This Project Matters

Raleigh’s greenway system is one of the City’s most loved amenities. The Big Branch trail will extend this network into a fast-growing area that currently has limited access to parks and trails.

This connector is the top-ranked trail in Raleigh’s 2022 Greenway Master Plan and a key recommendation in the 2020 "Walkable Midtown: The Midtown - St Albans Area Plan." It was prioritized based on factors like population, equity, transit access, and park service.

The trail will put nearly 7,000 neighborhood residents within a short walk of the greenway and bring trail users closer to nearby parks, shopping, and future bus rapid transit stops. As the area grows, more than 10,000 residents will benefit from this greenway access. 

The project also supports environmental health. The City will restore parts of Big Branch Creek and add features to manage stormwater and protect the stream.

About the Project

The Big Branch Greenway Connector will stretch from the Crabtree Creek Trail to Cedar Hills Park. The project is divided into six segments, which will be built through a mix of City investment, private development, and future planning. 

  • Segment 1A: Crabtree Creek Trail to Six Forks Rd (Parks Bond-Funded)
  • Segment 1B: Six Forks Rd to Wake Towne Dr (Parks Bond-Funded)
  • Segment 2: Midtown Multi-Modal Bridge (Raleigh Transportation)
  • Segment 3: Midtown Multi-Modal Bridge to St Albans Dr (Private Developer)
  • Segment 4: St Albans Dr to Hardimont Rd (Parks Bond-Funded)
  • Segment 5: Hardimont Rd to E. Millbrook Rd (Raleigh Transportation)
  • Segment 6: E. Millbrook Rd to Sandy Forks Rd (Parks Bond-Funded Study)

Once completed, the Big Branch Connector will link neighborhoods to key destinations like parks, schools, shops, and future transit stops. It also supports environmental goals by including stream restoration and green infrastructure improvements. 

Project Timeline: 2024-2026

Interactive map of Park Projects
List of Park Projects

Project Details

 
Type:
Greenways and Trails
Budget:
$4,560,000
Contractors:
Design Consultant - Kimley Horn

Upcoming Events

 
  • Jul
    14

    Greenway Committee

    4 p.m. • Monday
    Raleigh Municipal Building (RMB)
    Add to Calendar 2025-07-14 16:00:00 2025-07-14 17:00:00 Greenway Committee The Greenways Committee, a standing committee of the Parks, Recreation and Greenway Advisory Board, will meet in the Raleigh Municipal Building Conference Room 303 every second Monday at 4 p.m.   Raleigh Municipal Building (RMB) 222 W. Hargett St. Raleigh, NC 27601 City of Raleigh parkplan@raleighnc.gov | 919-996-3285 America/New_York public
  • Jul
    17

    Parks, Recreation, and Greenway Advisory Board

    6 p.m. • Thursday
    Raleigh Municipal Building (RMB)
    Add to Calendar 2025-07-17 18:00:00 2025-07-17 19:00:00 Parks, Recreation, and Greenway Advisory Board The Parks, Recreation and Greenway Advisory Board (PRGAB) will meet in-person in the Raleigh Council Chambers, 222 W. Hargett Street at 6:00 p.m.  The Raleigh Parks, Recreation, and Greenway Advisory Board meetings are open to the public. This meeting will be streamed for public viewing - watch meeting. The PRGAB meets on the third Thursday of each month.   Raleigh Municipal Building (RMB) 222 W. Hargett St. Raleigh, NC 27601 Watch virtually City of Raleigh America/New_York public
  • Aug
    19

    City Council Afternoon Session

    1 p.m. • Tuesday
    Raleigh Municipal Building (RMB)
    Add to Calendar 2025-08-19 13:00:00 2025-08-19 15:00:00 City Council Afternoon Session The Raleigh City Council will meet for an afternoon session.  Watch Council Meeting Live Stream View agendas Visit our City Council page to find your council member and other council services.   Raleigh Municipal Building (RMB) 222 W. Hargett St. Raleigh, NC 27601 Held in Council Chamber.  City of Raleigh Council Staff: councilstaff@raleighnc.gov Mayor Staff:mayorstaff@raleighnc.gov Council Members:citycouncilmembers@raleighnc.gov Phone: 919-996-3050 America/New_York public

Contact

 

Raleigh Parks
Planning and Public Engagement
Kris Nikfar, Engineer
kris.nikfar@raleighnc.gov

Engineering Services
Design and Construction
Dale Tiska, Senior Construction Project Manager
dale.tiska@raleighnc.gov

Lead Department:
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
Participating Department:
Engineering ServicesPlanning and Development

Subscribe

 

Planning

No planning phase involved in this bond project. The Capital Area Greenway Master Plan was adopted by City Council in 2021.

Design

The project team is identifying specific alignment options for each section of the project for further design development.

Lead Department:
Engineering Services

Construction

Complete


Project Schedule

DateActivity
Spring/Early Summer 2024Existing Conditions Analysis
Summer 2024Alternative Alignment Analysis
Later Summer - Fall 2024Public Involvement Phase 1
Summer 2025Schematic Design Complete
Late Spring 2025Public Involvement Phase 2
July 14, 2025 The Greenway Committee will review public feedback and present the recommended route.
July 17, 2025The Parks Board will review and consider the recommendations.
Aug. 19, 2025Raleigh City Council will review and consider the recommendations.
Summer - Late 2025Environmental Permitting
Summer 2025 - Fall 2025Planning and Development Permitting
Fall 2025 - Late 2026Right-Of-Way Acquisition
Late 2026Construction Notice to Proceed
Late 2027Construction Complete (Segments 1 and 4)

Big Branch Greenway Connector Project Updates

 

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