East Coast Greenway, Smithfield-to-Benson Feasibility Study

The proposed Smithfield-to-Benson East Coast Greenway corridor is a 21-mile corridor in Johnston County connecting the existing greenway from Smithfield to Benson. The corridor primarily follows US-301 beginning along the Neuse River in Downtown Smithfield at the terminus of the Buffalo Creek Greenway to the Johnston County line, outside of Benson town limits. The Smithfield-to-Benson East Coast Greenway is a critical missing link in the County’s greenway network and is the proposed corridor for gap segments of the East Coast Greenway and Mountains-to-Sea Trail. The feasibility study included committee, stakeholder and public engagement, existing conditions analysis, alternative trail route scenarios, preferred route development, and the development of a final plan document with implementation action steps and funding resources.