Fall Line celebration a milestone for Virginia’s East Coast Greenway

ASHLAND, Virginia — The East Coast Greenway Alliance joined Virginia partners, state and local officials and area advocates at a ribbon cutting celebration for a 4.8-mile segment of the Fall Line trail, which establishes a vital East Coast Greenway connection from the Town of Ashland and Hanover County to Henrico County.

When complete, the Fall Line will be a 43-mile north-south regional trail spine in Central Virginia connecting seven greater Richmond localities between Ashland and Petersburg. It will serve as the future East Coast Greenway route in the region.

“Today’s celebration marks an important milestone in completing both the Fall Line trail and the East Coast Greenway through Central Virginia,” said East Coast Greenway Alliance Virginia & Washington, D.C. Manager Elliott Caldwell. “We are deeply grateful to our local partners and to state, county and city leaders whose dedication and support are bringing this shared vision to life.”

Speakers at the ceremony included local elected officials and representatives from the Virginia Department of Transportation, Central Virginia Transportation Authority and Sports Backers. “Projects like the Fall Line demonstrate what can be accomplished when localities and partners work side by side,” said Hanover county administrator John A. Budesky. “This new section creates fresh opportunities for exercise, recreation and connection that Hanover residents can enjoy right away.” 

The first major segment of the Fall Line to open, this northernmost section connects the Ashland Trolley Line Trail to Woodman Road in Henrico County, expanding opportunities for walking, running, biking and rolling in the greater Richmond region. “The Fall Line is more than a trail,” said Sports Backers executive director Will Dixon. “It is a new corridor of community connections that expands opportunities for active living and highlights the natural beauty of Central Virginia.”

With Bike Walk RVA and Sports Backers playing a key role, a collaborative effort is underway to complete this game-changing trail. By the end of 2025, about 20 miles of the Fall Line is expected to be actively under construction or completed, and the 13-mile contiguous section between Ashland and Richmond should be completed for all trail users. Learn more about segment-by-segment progress.

“Once complete, the Fall Line will serve as both a local destination and a draw for long-distance travelers. Communities along the route will see the proven health, safety, economic and environmental benefits that trails like this bring,” Caldwell added. “We’re excited to integrate more of the Fall Line into the Maine-to-Florida East Coast Greenway.”

Bike Walk RVA demonstrated the connective power of a completed Fall Line by organizing a “Roll Out to the Ribbon Cutting” for the event where supporters biked from Richmond’s Bryan Park to the Ashland Trolley Line ahead of the ceremony, which is just the latest example of the momentum behind continued development of the East Coast Greenway. 

In recent months, Alliance team members have joined local partners to celebrate trail openings and ground-breaking in Maine, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland — with more coming soon.