The Camden County Board of Commissioners recently partnered with Winslow Township for a public meeting to update residents on the Camden County LINK Trail, a planned 34-mile multi-use route that will stretch from the Ben Franklin Bridge to the Gloucester County line in the township.
The trail is envisioned as the central “spine” of a county-wide trail network, with a continuous, off-road route through urban, suburban and rural areas.
The public meeting on July 31 at the Star Building in Sicklerville was an opportunity for residents to learn about specific segments of the trail and its overall progress. It also offered insights from the county’s trail design consultant, NV5.
“With a project this big, it was important that our entire community stayed up to date,” said Commissioner Jeff Nash, liaison to the parks department. “There were several developments in the last year pertaining to this project, so we wanted to come together with our constituents to discuss where we were at.”
The Camden County LINK Trail will run through 17 municipalities and connect a variety of municipal and county parks, downtown business districts and public open spaces. It includes a significant, 1.6-mile segment within New Brooklyn Park, with a bridge over the scenic Great Egg Harbor River.
The trail is intended to enhance recreational opportunities, promote healthy living and support local economies by increasing accessibility to green spaces.
The commissioners collaborated with Camden City and Pennsauken Township for another meeting on July 29 to discuss a segment of the trail that will include a new one-mile route between Flanders Avenue in Camden and Cooper River Park and feature four bridges over the river and Route 130.
When combined with existing trails, that segment will create a continuous 2.3-mile connection, providing Camden residents with easy access to the park.
“This is a transformative project that will enhance the lives of our residents and visitors even further,” Nash explained of the LINK Trail. “We see the importance of investing in accessible green spaces, and combined with our ongoing $100-million parks revitalization initiative, Camden County is on track to become one of the top outdoor destinations on the East Coast.”
Residents unable to attend the meetings can find information – including drone videos of the trail alignment, details from previous meetings and the original trail feasibility study – at CamdenCounty.com/trails.
