Project Scope:

Gaston County is constructing a new walking trail in partnership with the City of Lowell and the Carolina Thread Trail. Lowell’s trail segment will connect subdivisions along the South Fork Catawba River to the future City of Lowell River Park. The park will be located adjacent to the eastern boundary of Gaston County’s George Poston Park. Gaston County’s segments will tie into Lowell’s trail and follow the river for a short distance, before following the natural topography to the parking lot located on the north side of Lowell Spencer Mountain Rd across from the entrance to George Poston Park. The trail will continue through Poston Park as a multi-use concrete path and then transition to a natural trail segment to the base of Spencer Mountain.

Background:

The City of Lowell and Gaston County received Carolina Thread Trail Grants through the 2022 Trail Implementation Grant Program to construct portions of a trail identified in the Carolina Thread Trail’s “Matthews-Belk South Fork River Trail – Corridor Gap Assessment” (August 2022). June 13, 2023, the Gaston County Board of Commissioners accepted and appropriated the Grant Funds. The City of Lowell and Gaston County entered an interlocal agreement that set forth the terms and conditions under which the County and City of Lowell would perform duties pertaining to the construction, operation and maintenance of the trail. Gaston County will be the lead on each of the segments through the bid phase, construction and project close-out. Construction will include natural surface trails with footbridges and paved surface trails within George Poston Park.