Cary reopens Black Creek Greenway stretch with tallest bridge yet

A new 285-foot bridge now lifts Black Creek Greenway users about 50 feet over Black Creek, and Cary has reopened the trail stretch between Livingstone Drive and Weston Parkway after finishing phase two of the renovation.

The bridge is Cary’s tallest pedestrian bridge and, at more than 400,000 pounds, is built as a weathered steel span with integrated lighting for better visibility and evening use. The project also filled a 650-foot sidewalk gap at Cary Parkway, where the town said there had been no sidewalk on either side of the road and no shoulder on the roadway bridge for pedestrians. A new traffic signal with pedestrian push buttons at Cary Parkway and Norwell Boulevard was completed with the work, adding another safety upgrade for people walking or biking to North Cary Park, nearby neighborhoods and the greenway.

Town officials said the bridge’s leaf-patterned panels were inspired by the tree canopy around Cary Parkway and are meant to give the crossing a more distinctive look as light changes during the day. The redesign was also aimed at improving the trail alignment and lowering flood risk along Black Creek, part of a larger effort to modernize one of Cary’s most-used recreation corridors.

The Black Creek Greenway runs 7.1 miles from Old Reedy Creek Road by Lake Crabtree to Bond Park, where it connects with the White Oak Greenway and, eventually, the American Tobacco Trail. Together, the Black Creek and White Oak corridors are part of the East Coast Greenway, the long-distance route that will one day run from Maine to Florida. Cary says its greenway system now includes more than 100 miles of trails.

The renovated section between Old Reedy Creek Road and West Dynasty Drive was originally built more than 25 years ago, and the town is widening it to 12 feet, including bridges, to meet current greenway design standards. Funding came in part from the 2019 Shaping Cary’s Tomorrow Bond Referendum and the Locally Administered Projects Program, reflecting Cary’s push to expand connected outdoor infrastructure while also handling growth and stormwater concerns.

The next phase is already under way. The greenway is closed from Weston Parkway to the Old Reedy Creek Trailhead while phase three continues, with completion expected in winter. The trailhead sits on Wake County and Town of Cary property between the Lake Crabtree dam and Old Reedy Creek Road, and it serves as an access point for the East Coast Greenway route through Umstead State Park.