The rebirth of the upper half of the Virginia Creeper Trail — closed since it was destroyed by Hurricane Helene nearly two years ago — will be celebrated when it officially reopens March 31, officials with the U.S. Forest Service announced.
The work, which started last December, is expected to be completed in one year, and the three extra months will give the reconstructed trail time to settle over the winter, the Forest Service explained in a news release.
“Winter conditions play an important role in preparing a newly rebuilt trail,” the Forest Service said. “Allowing the corridor to ‘settle’ over the winter ensures the surface is stable, drainage systems are working, and the trail can withstand heavy spring use and changing weather. This extra time helps reduce long‑term maintenance costs and ensures a safer experience for cyclists, runners and families.”
The 34-mile recreation trail, built on a former railbed, starts in Abingdon, hits its halfway point in Damascus and ends at Whitetop Station near the North Carolina line. Before Helene, the trail attracted about 250,000 visitors per year.
On Sept. 27, 2024, the day after the hurricane made landfall along the Gulf Coast, its inland remnants hit Southwest Virginia and hovered over the Damascus area, which was already saturated by inches of steady rain in the days leading up to the storm.
Flooding and high winds resulted in the destruction and damage of about 140 structures at an estimated loss of $10 million to $12 million. Nearly a mile of U.S. 58 was chewed up, but it has since been repaired.
Although it was weeks before the extent of damage to the trail was known, most of its trestles were destroyed or damaged and the path was washed away.
The first half of the trail, from Abingdon to Damascus, had only minor damage and reopened within a few days. Local officials have since encouraged more bikers and hikers to use that segment of the trail.
The trail is often called the “heartbeat” and the “lifeblood” of the Washington County town of nearly 800 residents and its surrounding communities. It contributes more than $61 million annually to Washington, Grayson, Smyth and Russell counties and supports 582 full-time jobs, according to a November 2025 Virginia Tech study.
Last November, Kiewit Corp. was awarded a $240 million contract to rebuild and repair the upper half of the trail. Construction began in December and was to be completed within one year.
The money for the project is a portion of $660 million approved by Congress as part of the American Relief Act of 2025. The rest will go toward other Helene-related damage and restoration projects, the Forest Service has said.
When asked whether Kiewit will complete construction within the one-year timeline, a company representative referred the question to Forest Service officials, who did not respond Tuesday.
Initially, local and trail officials worried that it would take years to rebuild that section of the trail, if it happened at all.
Damascus Mayor Katie Lamb said she first worried that it could take five or even 10 years to get the Creeper Trail rebuilt and she said she’s 100% in support of the March opening.
Town Manager Chris Bell wrote in an email Tuesday that town officials originally hoped to see the trail open by December, but that isn’t possible because the scope of work at Bridge 46 changed from “a simple repair to a full replacement, which required a necessary change order and extended the timeline.”
Bridge 46, between Whitetop Station and Green Cove, will be built as a replica timber trestle. At its tallest point, the bridge will reach about 63 feet above the forest floor, “making it one of the larger timber trestle bridges constructed in recent years,” town officials said in a news release.
“While much of the trail will be done this year, this updated timeline gives the [Forest Service] and Kiewit a crucial winter monitoring window,” Bell wrote. “Hurricane Helene altered the hydrology of our waterways, so observing how the new drainage and culverts perform during winter weather allows any necessary adjustments are caught before the one-year warranty period begins. Rebuilding this infrastructure on such an aggressive timeline was a massive undertaking. We fully support the U.S. Forest Service’s decision to several years in advance of our initial estimate. We look forward to the reopening of an even better and safer trail for hundreds of thousands of people to enjoy.”
The town’s release notes that Kiewit crews are working six days a week. They have restored temporary construction access to the entire corridor between Damascus and Whitetop Station and installed temporary bridges at all stream crossings.
Several new permanent bridges have been delivered and staged for installation. Three permanent bridges have been set in place, and 18 of 56 concrete bridge abutments have been poured, the company says in a July 16 progress report on its website. All 217 “micropile” bridge foundation structures have also been installed.
Detailed project updates and photos can be viewed here.
