Bluestone Trail Project

*For information on the completed Bluestone Trail and how to access it, visit the Bluestone Trail page.

Project Status:

In 2015, the City of Harrisonburg and James Madison University were awarded $364,500 from Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Revenue Sharing funds to extend the Bluestone Trail from Sonner Hall to Carrier Drive on JMU campus. The City is administering the project and JMU is providing matching funds in the amount of $364,500.

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc (VHB) was selected to provide engineering services for this project. The new trail is 0.27-miles long. Construction is anticipated to begin in early 2017.

[2.8MB] Bluestone Trail Project - Sonner Hall to Carrier Drive Concept - September 2, 2015

Questions about this project? Contact Tom Hartman, PE, Assistant Director of Public Works, at Tom.Hartman@harrisonburgva.gov or 540-434-5928 or Abe Kaufman, JMU Facilities Management, at kaufmaat@jmu.edu or 540-568-4201.

Past Phases of Bluestone Trail Construction:

Bluestone Trail Phase 1 Overview PDF [2.6MB]

Bluestone Trail Project History

Concept Development

• Bluestone Trail project included in 2010 Harrisonburg Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan.
• [32KB] February 9, 2010 City Council Meeting Minutes. Request from Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) to undertake all steps necessary for a shovel ready project. 
• [170KB] March 9, 2010 City Council Meeting Minutes. Staff update.
• [102KB] July 27, 2010 City Council Meeting Minutes. City Council adopts City Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan that includes the Bluestone Trail Phase 1 as a 5-year goal. 

Stone Spring Road to Port Republic Road

The completed phase 1 of the Bluestone Trail between Port Republic Road to Stone Spring Road was funded by Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) from the National Park Service through Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Revenue Sharing funds, James Madison University, and city funds. Engineering for the project began in 2012 and project construction was completed in Fall 2014.

• [235KB] December 13, 2011 City Council Meeting Minutes. (Video) ([5.68MB] PowerPoint slides) Update by city staff and Rich Edwards of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), and request for endorsement of trail alignment.
• [58KB] March 27, 2012 City Council Meeting Minutes. (Video)  ([750KB] PowerPoint slides) Resolution to support grant application for Virginia DCR's Land and Water Conservation Fund. 
• 30-Day Public Comment Period.  [194KB] Official notice (published in Daily-News Record July 9, 2012).
• City Council appropriates funding from General Fund towards Bluestone Trail and other projects. (Video from October 23, 2012 Public Hearing.) (Video from November 13, 2012 meeting)
• Fall 2012 - Engineering & environmental for Bluestone Trail Phase 1 between Stone Spring Road to Port Republic Road begins.
• November 13, 2012 - City Council approves resolution for VDOT FY2014 Revenue Sharing Program for Bluestone Trail and other projects. 
• June 25, 2013 - City Council project update. 
• Fall 2013 - January 2014 - Right of way for Bluestone Trail Phase 1 underway
• April 2014 - Construction of Bluestone Trail Phase 1 started
• October 22, 2014 - Phase 1 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Port Republic Road to Sonner Hall (JMU Campus)

• Spring 2013 - James Madison University begins engineering design for the Newman Lake Dam project and includes design for Bluestone Trail extension.
• February 2015 - James Madison University completes construction and opens the Bluestone Trail extension between Port Republic Road to Sonner Hall.  

Sonner Hall to Carrier Drive (JMU Campus)

• August 2015 - City and James Madison University awarded VDOT Revenue Sharing funds for Bluestone Trail extension between Sonner Hall to Carrier Drive.
• Fall 2015 - Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc (VHB) was selected to provide engineering services.