SALISBURY – The city of Salisbury has been awarded two separate grants totaling $131,562 for improvements along the Carolina Thread Trail, which coincides with a portion of the Salisbury Greenway.

The city will utilize $40,500 of the funds to conduct a bridge design study and FEMA No-rise Certification for Floodways. This study will provide the necessary information for the construction of a bridge that will provide connectivity on the Salisbury Greenway near Catawba College and the Meadowbrook section of the city.

The second $91,062 grant will allow for a gravel trail on the Greenway between Kelsey Scott Park and Jake Alexander Boulevard. In addition to the benefits of recreation and transportation use, the gravel trail along this area will also connect residents with retail, commercial, food, healthcare and restaurant businesses.

Approximately 4,800 residents who live in the immediate vicinity of the trail, patients and employees of the Hefner VA Medical Center, 1,300 Catawba College students, 1,100 Livingstone College students, as well as faculty and staff at both colleges will benefit from these additions to the Carolina Thread Trail once complete.

The Carolina Thread Trail is a regional network of greenways, trails and blueways that reaches 15 North Carolina and South Carolina counties, two states and 2.3 million people. According to its website, the Thread Trail preserves natural areas and is a place for exploration of nature, culture, science and history. In order to receive the funds, the city must show local matches of a fraction of both grant amounts. The projects funded by the grant must be completed within two years of the grant award.