Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation Awarded $23.8M for Phase 4 of VB Trail

The City of Virginia Beach Department of Parks & Recreation (VBPR) has been awarded $23.8 million in grant funding to support construction of Phase 4 of the Virginia Beach Trail (VB Trail), a major step in the City’s ongoing investment in safe, accessible active transportation.

The grant came from the Virginia Department of Transportation’s SMART SCALE (System for the Management and Allocation of Resources for Transportation) program as part of its fiscal year 2026 Round 6 awards.

Phase 4 of the VB Trail is a 2.8-mile segment that will extend the eastern portion of the trail from Birdneck Road to London Bridge Road. This new path will provide key connections among the Naval Air Station Oceana, Hilltop, Great Neck, Seatack and surrounding communities, while also featuring improved crossings at all intersections along the route.

This award builds on a $14.9 million federal grant received in December 2023 through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program for Phase 1 of the trail. Phase 1 is a 3.2-mile, 14-foot-wide segment connecting the city’s western border at Newtown Road to Constitution Drive in Town Center. The design includes a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the 10-lane Independence Boulevard that will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is currently in progress.

Once completed, the full Virginia Beach Trail will span 12.6 miles as a 14-foot-wide, paved shared-use path extending from the Norfolk border at the Newtown Road Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) hub to Town Center and all the way to the Oceanfront. The trail will be constructed along a 66-foot-wide, City-owned former Norfolk Southern railroad corridor, leaving space for other public uses. Currently, 1.5 miles of the trail are complete along Norfolk Avenue, stretching from Birdneck Road to Pacific Avenue, passing through the Oceanfront Resort Area and ending at Rudee Loop.

The VB Trail has been in the City of Virginia Beach plans since 1981 and remains the highest-priority project in the City’s Active Transportation Plan, adopted by City Council in 2021. Designed to serve pedestrians, bicyclists, wheelchair users, runners, students, workers, families and visitors, the trail will offer a safe, equitable and non-vehicular travel route across the city. Bikeways and trails have consistently ranked among the top public recreational needs in community surveys, as they benefit people of all ages and abilities.

The trail is also the easternmost segment of the South Hampton Roads Trail, a proposed regional corridor connecting Suffolk, Portsmouth, Norfolk and Chesapeake. It will form the final link in a continuous trail system stretching from Richmond to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, giving it both regional and statewide significance. Additionally, it is part of the Virginia Beaches to Bluegrass Trail network, enhancing its role in long-distance travel, tourism and active transportation.

The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization has ranked the Virginia Beach Trail as a top regional priority, aligning with strategies for economic development, workforce recruitment and recreational tourism. This trail represents a bold step toward a more connected, active and accessible future for all who live, work and visit Virginia Beach.

To stay updated on VB Trail progress and project details, visit VirginiaBeach.gov/VBTrail.