Five railroad bridges built in 1906 to carry coal through West Virginia’s New River Gorge are getting a new purpose more than a century later. An $11.8 million restoration project is now under way to repair the bridges and reopen the historic trail for visitors.According to the National Park Service (NPS), the project began on September 1, 2026, with a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Minden Trailhead. The project is being funded through the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund. The National Park Foundation and Friends of New River Gorge joined the NPS for the event.The restoration is focused on the Rend Trail, formerly known as the Thurmond-Minden Trail. The 3.2-mile trail runs along the New River and Dunloup Creek and provides views of the historic downtown and community of Thurmond.
Five bridges built for coal trains
The Rend Trail follows an old railroad grade that was built in 1906 to haul coal. Today, the same route is used as a recreational trail and crosses five historic railroad trestles, or bridges.However, more than 100 years of exposure and use have left the wooden structures in poor condition. According to the NPS, structural risks caused by the ageing infrastructure have resulted in partial closures along the trail. One of the main bridges has been closed for several years because it became too unsafe for people to cross.The restoration will remove the existing wooden bridges and replace them with durable aluminium tread, according to Acting Superintendent Eric LaPrice.The project is not limited to the bridges. The NPS said it will also repair key retaining walls and resurface the trail. The path will also be rerouted around Big Rock, where the existing terrain has made access difficult.
Trail to be accessible again
Another major part of the work will focus on making the trail easier to access. The project will regrade the trail, improve drainage and add a restroom at the trailhead.The stairs at Big Rock will also be replaced with an accessible ramp. This is expected to help open the full trail to people of all abilities.The work is intended to restore the Rend Trail as a continuous route. At present, partial closures mean visitors cannot travel through the entire trail.“The trail was partially closed, so it wasn’t a through trail. Now, when this work is done, it’s going to be a through trail again. It’s going to connect to another area of the park and it’s going to connect to the trails that the community has here. So it’s a connection to the community,” LaPrice said.The Thurmond and Minden/Oak Hill trailheads will also be rehabilitated as part of the project. Together, the improvements are intended to address safety problems and reconnect the trail with nearby communities.
16 months to go
The NPS expects the construction work to take about 16 months. The agency hopes to reopen the complete trail with a ribbon-cutting ceremony next fall.The restoration is also expected to support tourism in the surrounding area. The NPS said spending by visitors to the park generated an estimated $95.5 million for the local economy in 2024.The project is being paid for through the Legacy Restoration Fund, which was created under the Great American Outdoors Act. The fund expired in September 2025, and supporters are now seeking its renewal.Paul Coussan, vice president of government relations for the National Park Foundation, said efforts are under way to extend the programme.“We have a lot of support in Congress right now on the America the Beautiful Act, which would take this great program that was created back in 2020, the Legacy Restoration Fund, and extend it for another five years,” Coussan said. “So we’re really working to get that done.”