The Stafford County Infrastructure Committee has a choice to make regarding the Belmont-Ferry Farm Trail system's final phase.
Since 2019, the committee has been working towards completing the sixth and final phase of the project, which would add to the already two-and-a-half long trail from Route 3 at River Road and end at the Ferry Farm Shopping Center in the George Washington District.
However, the county has run into complications from topography issues, land acquisition, and the Virginia Department of Transportation approvals that may be difficult to achieve.
If the county decides to move forward with the construction of the trail segment, the expectation from VDOT would be to begin the effort by the end of 2020.
The first option would be to construct the trail and align it along Old Dairy Lane to the CSX railway tunnel along Naomi Road. The trail would cross Route 3 at Jett Drive from Naomi, running along the north side of Route 3 and ultimately ending at the Ferry Farm Shopping Center.
Should the county make this decision, it would require $775,340 in additional costs to the project, that funding is expected to come from the Federal Transportation Alternatives Program.
Known also as TAP, this program came about with the signing of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act by then-President Barack Obama in December 2015. The county's application for funding with the program is currently under review with the Federal Highway Administration.
The other option would be to cancel the project and repay $130,000 to the program.
The decision is expected to be taken up at the next Stafford County Board of Supervisors meeting as new business on September 21.
When complete, the Belmont-Ferry Farm trail, linking the historic Belmont Plantation with the President George Washington boyhood home, will provide residents and visitors with more than two miles of paved hiking trail through southern Stafford County.
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