Highway 251/French Broad Greenway

Client: Buncombe County

In 2010 Equinox helped develop a Feasibility Study for a 15-mile multi-jurisdictional corridor along the French Broad River through the City of Asheville, the Town of Woodfin, and Buncombe County. Following up in 2017, Equinox was hired as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide Schematic Design and Construction Documents for a 3-mile section of the French Broad River/HWY 251 Greenway. Equinox’s role in the Schematic Design included leading the NC DOT required Functional Design and Alternatives Assessment (NC DOT funded project). Equinox worked with landowners to build support for the greenway and gain their commitments for greenway easements. We developed alternative greenway alignments and options including site specific studies and cross sections depicting greenway conditions in a variety of conditions (adjacent to a rail line, along the river, along the road, etc.). In addition we provided a final greenway trail alignment, horizontal and vertical alignment, and connections to the adjacent roadway network and neighborhoods. Equinox was also responsible for working with NF Southern, Craggy Mountain Railroad, Duke Energy, and the Metropolitan Sewerage District to meet their requirements for greenway implementation. The next phase of the project will include design development and construction documents as part of a second phase of this project.

Greenway