West Roanoke River Greenway, Phase 1

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Pictured from left to right: Roanoke County Assistant Director of Planning Megan Cronise, Roanoke County Economic Development Assistant Director Lindsay Webb, Roanoke County Administrator Richard Caywood, former Roanoke Valley Greenway Coordinator Liz Belcher, Roanoke County Board of Supervisors representative Martha Hooker, Roanoke County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Radford, Salem City Council Vice-Chair Anne Marie Green, Commonwealth Transportation Board Member Dr. Ray Smoot, City of Salem Manager Chris Dorsey, Roanoke County Assistant County Administrator Doug Blount, and U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith. 

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on November 6, 2025, to celebrate the completion of Phase 1 of the West Roanoke River Greenway. Speakers included Roanoke County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Radford and Catawba District Supervisor Martha Hooker; County Administrator Richard Caywood; Salem City Council Vice-Mayor Anne Marie Green; and Dr. Raymond Smoot, Salem District Commonwealth Transportation Board member.

Overview

The West Roanoke River Greenway, Phase 1 (VDOT UPC 97171) is an approximate 0.60-mile section of greenway proposed south of the Roanoke River between West Riverside Drive in Roanoke County and Kingsmill Drive in the City of Salem. The project consists of a 10’ wide paved greenway, Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) retaining walls, a paved 26-space parking lot, a crosswalk across West Riverside Drive, and associated appurtenances including signs, fencing, and drainage improvements.

The project is a joint project with the City of Salem that is being locally administered by Roanoke County with oversight from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). This project is financed by $12,571,742 in federal and state funds from the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), Open Container, Regional Surface Transportation Program (RSTP), and Smart Scale Program. The design engineer for the project is Hurt & Proffitt, Inc. with subconsultants including Mattern & Craig who designed the retaining walls.

Project Schedule 

Phase 1 was advertised for construction in August 2023, and bids were received in September 2023. Burleigh Construction Company, Inc. began construction in November 2023 and the project was completed in October 2025.

Project Phasing

The original project scope for the West Roanoke River Greenway extended approximately 1.8 miles between Green Hill Park and Riverside Park; however, due to right-of-way acquisition challenges, design requirements changes, and funding constraints, the project has been split into multiple phases.

The Roanoke River Greenway is identified as a regional priority in the 2018 Roanoke Valley Greenway Plan.