New developments in plans to create a path from Spencer Mountain to South Carolina

Chloe Collins, Gaston Gazette
·2 min read
Spencer Mountain section of the corridor.
Spencer Mountain section of the corridor.

Gaston County’s planned 20-mile trail that will lead from South Carolina to the top of Spencer Mountain is a few steps closer to coming to fruition.

At a special meeting Monday, Dec. 4, Lowell City Council voted unanimously to approve an interlocal agreement with Gaston County to accept bids on two new sections of Carolina Thread Trail.

The move comes after both parties received Carolina Thread Trail 2023 implementation grants.

The county was awarded more than $92,000, and the city of Lowell received more than $128,000 toward the project.

Putting out a bid for the project together will mean one contractor will take on the construction of both trails.

Lowell’s trail segment will begin at River Heights Subdivision, pass through the future Lowell River Front Park, and end at George Poston Park, where the county’s trail segment begins, according to Cary Rodriguez, Gaston County Public Works senior project manager.

Picking up from George Poston, the trail will continue to the base of Spencer Mountain and future phases will take the trails all the way to the summit, Rodriguez said.

The new trail segments are part of a larger trail plan that has been in the works since 2008 according to Carolina Thread Community Coordinator Ashton Lamb.

Both trails will eventually be part of the Matthews-Belk South Fork River Corridor, which will run alongside the South Fork River and pass through Belmont, Cramerton, McAdenville and Lowell before ending at the top of Spencer Mountain.

Project planners have been working on installing public art exhibitions along the mixed-used path, Lamb said.

The trail will be paved in parts, gravel or natural in others, and some spots will have boardwalks.

Map of the Matthews-Belk South Fork River Corridor.
Map of the Matthews-Belk South Fork River Corridor.

According to Lamb, there is no projected completion date for the corridor, though he estimates that around half of it has been completed.

There are also currently no estimated completion dates on the two new segments.

The county will vote this month or next on whether they will be entering the interlocal agreement with the city of Lowell, Roderiguez said.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Two new segments of Carolina Thread Trail coming to Gaston County