If you have traveled on the Roanoke River Greenway near the Bennington Rd Trailhead, you have undoubtedly noticed the pavement has risen up in several sections, making for a jarring, possibly dangerous surface. These pavement heaves are caused by the adjacent invasive trees, whose roots have grown under the pavement in search of water.
Beginning the week of October 4th, Roanoke City’s Parks and Recreation department will begin to tackle this issue head on. The offending trees are slated to be removed, replaced by new plantings that shouldn’t create this headache in the future. Once the tree removal is completed, a stretch of the greenway will be repaved, greatly improving the experience for all users.
The work will take several weeks, so in the meantime the trail will be closed (between Bennington Rd Trailhead and the Shell station) until the work is complete. Consider exploring another section of the greenway and look forward to a smooth trail soon!
For more information and updates, please check the Roanoke City Parks and Recreation Blog.