County commissioners, the city of Camden and Pennsauken and Winslow townships will host two public meetings later this month to inform residents about the local portion of the regional Camden County LINK Trail.
The proposed 34-mile trail will extend from the Ben Franklin Bridge to the southern end of Winslow. Meetings are scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, July 29, at the office of the Camden County Historical Society in Camden, and 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 31, at the Star building on Erial Road in Sicklerville.
“With a project this big, it’s important that our entire community is up to date,” said Commissioner Jeffrey Nash, liaison to the county parks department. “There have been several developments in the last year pertaining to this project, so we want to come together with our constituents to discuss where we are at.”
Each public meeting will feature a presentation by the county’s design consultant, NV5, and display boards to update residents on specific trail segments, as well as the project’s overall progress. The segments in question will be paid for with federal funding, with constructed expected to begin by the end of next year.
The first segment will include about one mile of new trail between Flanders Avenue in Camden and Cooper River Park, with four bridges over the river and Route 130. Combined with existing trails in Gateway Park, that will create a continuous 2.3-mile connection and offer Camden residents a new route to Cooper River Park.
The second segment will be a 1.6-mile trail within New Brooklyn Park, including a bridge over the scenic Great Egg Harbor River.
“This is a transformative project that will enhance the lives of our residents and visitors even further,” Nash noted. “We see the importance of investing in accessible, green spaces, and combined with our ongoing $100-million parks revitalization, Camden County is on track to become one of the top outdoor destinations on the East Coast.”
Residents who cannot attend the meetings can access the information at CamdenCounty.com/trails. The website also features drone videos of the trail alignment, information from previous meetings and the original trail feasibility study.