Work is continuing on two-state connector route
bramwell — Officials with the Hatfield-McCoy Trail Authority are hoping to finish construction in the near future on a new connector route that will link the West Virginia-based trail system with neighboring Virginia.
Once it is completed, riders from the Virginia-side Spearhead Trail system in Tazewell County would be able to cross the state line and connect with the Hatfield-McCoy Trail system in Mercer County. Riders of the Hatfield-MCoy system also would be able to connect with the Virginia trail.
The connector route will extend approximately eight miles and is an extension of the existing Pocahontas Trail system in Mercer County.
Work on the connector route began last year, but it is not yet finished, according to Hatfield-McCoy Trail Authority Executive Director Jeff Lusk.
'We haven't gotten it open yet,' Lusk said. 'We've got to wait for some timbering to be done. But we do intend to get that open. It will be a plus for both areas. It will be a plus for Spearhead and for us.'
Lusk said sections of the connector route have been completed, but other sections won't be ready until timbering in the area is completed.
'We have built sections of it,' Lusk saidte. 'There are just sections of it that can't be completed yet. It is our full intention to get that done and get it open as soon as possible. There is just some timbering work going on.'
Lusk said the Hatfield-McCoy Trail Authority will be able to sell even more ridership permits once the Virginia-side riders are able to cross over into the West Virginia trail system.
The connector route will essentially link both states and trails together. It will begin near Bramwell in Mercer County and end at the Virginia state line in Tazewell County.
The Hatfield-McCoy Trail Authority had to work with several land companies to secure license agreements for the new connector route.
The Hatfield-McCoy Trail system currently operates more than a thousand miles of trail and 10 trail systems, including the Pocahontas trail in Mercer County and the Indian Ridge trail in McDowell County.
The neighboring Spearhead Trail system in Virginia also extends through multiple Southwest Virginia counties. It is operated by the Southwest Virginia Regional Recreational Authority and will connect with the Hatfield-McCoy Trail system near Boissevain in Tazewell County.
While riders of both trail systems will be able to cross the state line once the connector route is opened, they will still have to have permits to ride the respective trail systems. For example, riders of the Hatfield-McCoy Trail system will have to have a permit to ride the Spearhead Trail system when they cross into Virginia. And riders of the Spearhead Trail system will have to have a Hatfield-McCoy Trail permit when they cross the state line into West Virginia.
The hope of trail officials is that the new connector route will allow ATV riders to ride seamlessly from one trail system to the next.
Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com
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