Community members, local leaders, and several organizations were in attendance on Tuesday, April 23change back to just Tuesday for NL to officially break ground on Hanover's section of the Fall Line Trail. It was a warm, sunny morning, and a number of those present had biked or walked to the event.

The groundbreaking occurred on the Hanover side of the Ashland Trolley Line Trail. The .85-mile paved path runs south from Carter Park and is to be the northmost section of the Fall Line Trail. Ashland Mayor Steve Trivett joked in his remarks that the other six jurisdictions had better hurry up — “we’ve finished our trail!”

The groundbreaking was held on Tuesday, April 24. | Photo by RICtoday

When completed, the FLT will run 43 miles from Ashland to Petersburg, winding through Hanover, Henrico, Richmond, Chesterfield, and Colonial Heights in the process.

Trivett commented that, when he thinks of the trail's completion, he sees "thousands of potential good days” for residents of the whole region. Tyrone Nelson, chair of the Henrico Board of Supervisors, echoed this sentiment, adding that the Fall Line Trail represents a "brighter, more connected future for generations to come.”

Hanover's section of the trail will run 4.8 miles total and is expected to be finished by the end of 2025. It will run the path of the old Ashland-Richmond Trolley Line up to the Chickahominy River, where it will cross into Henrico just west of Virginia Center Commons.

Representatives from several jurisdictions gathered for the groundbreaking. | Photo by RICtoday

Sports Backers Executive Director John Lugbill called the project a “destination connecting destinations,” saying that it would pay dividends to the region in health benefits, tourism income, and overall quality of life. Lugbill said the Fall Line Trail will "change the way people live on a daily basis,” pointing out that there are 95 schools within two miles of the trail.

Henrico began work on the trail in October 2023; Chesterfield aims to start its first section this summer. Richmond's first phase of construction is already underway.