West Ashley Greenway | |
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Length | 8.8 mi (14.2 km) |
Location | Charleston, South Carolina, United States |
Trailheads | Main Road Folly Road |
Use | Cycling, walking, hiking, jogging, skating |
Difficulty | Easy |
Season | Year 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.