Local government officials from other jurisdictions in the Roanoke Valley have welcomed Botetourt County to the Roanoke Valley Greenway Commission with a signing ceremony this week at the Greenfield Training and Education Center.
The move could help foster a link between paths in all part of the valley – where in the future someone could walk, run or bike from Salem, through Roanoke County and City, Vinton and on into Botetourt County, where a greenway path is planned from Daleville Town Center to the Greenfield Center.
Greenways coordinator Liz Belcher notes that there are already trails in Botetourt County, including the Andy Layne Trail that goes to Tinker Cliffs. Much of the trail system at Carvins Cove is also in the county. “We have a lot of great opportunities by adding Botetourt to the greenway system,” says Belcher. That could include eventually connecting the Tinker Creek greenway to the Daleville greenway.
Tinker is connected to the Roanoke River greenway via two bridges and a short jog on to local southeast city roads from the 13th Street greenway parking lot near the water treatment plant. Within the next few years, the Roanoke River greenway will extend uninterrupted into Salem and western Roanoke County on one end to Explore Park on the other.
When the entire system is complete, one will be able to travel between all the jurisdictions in the greater valley via the greenway system, which has been under construction since a federal grant for flood control work on the Roanoke River was secured in the late 90’s. The other local governments in the Roanoke Valley had to pass resolutions by their governing authorities – which they all did – before Botetourt County could be added to the Roanoke Valley Greenway Commission.
Gene Marrano
