(Ringgold) — More grant money is coming to Pittsylvania County to fix one of their top recreation spots.
In 2018, Tropical Storm Michael dumped seven inches of rain in 90-minutes. That severely damaged the Ringgold Rail Trail, leaving half of its five-mile length unusable.
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management originally sent 3,028,121.48 for repairs. The County’s local share was 300-thousand.
Now that the project’s scope has expanded, the state and federal grant money has been upped to $5,328,210.4. Pittsylvania County will have to spend $128,863.50 to get $2,300,088.94 additional dollars. The local match has already been budgeted in the Grants Local Match line item of the new county budget.
Lots of the repairs have already been made or are underway. That includes restoration of the century-old Rail Trail Pedestrian Bridge.
Last year the County awarded two contracts to restore other portions of the Ringgold Rail Trail. Those repairs rebuilt 150 yards that was washed out on Kerns Church Road.