Piedmont Greenway Master Plan - Town of Kernersville

Segment 11: Highway 68 to Northwest School Road
Along the Piedmont Greenway Trail, the Highway 68 and the proposed I-73 corridor divides the
trail corridor. Because of its central location and proximity to major transportation facilities, the area surrounding
NC 68 has been experiencing rapid land use development and growth. The city of Greensboro is
looking at the corridor of NC 68 below Pleasant Ridge Road as a potential Scenic Corridor Overlay District.
This overlay seeks to maintain the appearance of the corridor while improving travel mobility along NC 68.
Because the level of NC 68 was raised to reduce the potential of flooding, there exists an opportunity
to install an underpass (box-culvert) to provide trail access beneath the highway trail. An overland crossing
at the road level would be feasible. However, providing a signal light on this busy road may not be possible.
The existing culvert of Reedy Fork Creek where it passes under the road is not large enough for the
trail. The underpass could be installed as any part of NC 68 improvements occur to accommodate the rapid
growth projected for this road corridor.
SEGMENT 11
The proposed I-73 will be a major link between NC 68
and Battleground Avenue (US 220). Reedy Fork Creek contains
an ever-enlarging flood zone as you pass Alcorn Road.
This area becomes a wetland that is impassable from this
point north. The trail corridor will follow a small drainage
channel to an existing power line east of the creek and continue
north along this easement until the I-73 overpass. The
corridor will pass over Reedy Fork Creek near Brigade Trail
and Wesscott.
The Piedmont Greenway Trail will take advantage of a
small tributary that is between Northwest Middle and High
Schools, and the main channel of Reedy Fork. The I-73 road
alignment will require the construction of a new bridge in this
area and the trail will be able to pass under the bridge. As the
trail leaves the small tributaries, it will proceed south for a
short distance along the north side of Northwest School Road
before linking to Northwest Middle/High Schools.
The trail will be a multi-use corridor that will accommodate
pedestrian and biking uses. The primary trail will be
10 feet wide for all users. This segment of the trail system is
approximately 2.0 miles in length. One bridge will be needed
to span a small drainage tributary of the main channel.
Figure 20. Location of Segment 11
Primary Greenway Segments
Spur Trail Greenway Segments
PIEDMONT GREENWAY
Final Master Plan Report • 48