The South Shore Trail, public bike trail connecting communities in Anne Arundel County, will grow to reach Odenton, according to a $9.4 million plan announced by Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh.
The expansion will stretch the trail to 14 miles, linking the B&A Trail, the WB&A trail and the Annapolis Colonial Maritime Trail. Currently the trail runs from Annapolis Plaza to Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis.
The plans utilize the abandoned roadbed of the WB&A Railroad that runs between Annapolis and Odenton. The new funds will go towards acquiring property, and designing and constructing a paved, multi-use trail along that route. The east end of the path will connect with the Colonial Annapolis Maritime Trail, while the west end links with the WB&A Trail.
The South Shore Trail will be part of the East Coast Greenway and American Discovery Trail, joining networks of trails allowing passage up and down the East Coast, as well as across the country.
Construction of the new trail will occupy three phases:
- Phase I - Waterbury to Md Route 3 (Currently under construction, projected to finish in the fall 2018)
- Phase II - MD Route 3 to Odenton
- Phase III - Bestgate Road to Eisenhower Golf Course
- Phase IV - Eisenhower Golf Course to Waterbury Road
- Phase V - Bestgate Road to the City of Annapolis
“This investment fulfills our promise to make our County more bike-friendly,” said Schuh. “The South Shore expansion will take us one step closer to creating an interconnected system of bike trails and bike lanes that will allow our citizens to bike from BWI to Shady Side.”
