'Critical Segment' Of Lawrence-Hopewell Trail Opens In Lawrence Township

LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP, NJ — The King’s Highway Segment of the Lawrence Hopewell Trail is now open in Lawrence Township, trail organizers announced. The 3,760-foot segment is located on Province Line Road from Route 206 to Bannister Drive, where it crosses into the Foxcroft neighborhood.

It was completed with the use of $500,000 in federal funding administered through the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). Lawrence Township served as the grant applicant.

“The Lawrence Hopewell Trail is a county jewel—a true asset valued by residents far beyond Lawrence and Hopewell township,” Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes said.

“We are so proud that the King’s Highway Segment will receive the Complete Streets Excellence Award because of the engineering and design work by Lawrence Township engineer Jim Parvesse,” Lawrence Township Mayor David Maffei said.

Organizers call it a “critical link” between Carson Road Woods and Bristol-Myers Squibb Lawrenceville to the north and the Foxcroft neighborhood to the southeast. The trail then crosses Princeton Pike into Maidenhead Meadows.

“The completion of the King’s Highway segment is a celebration of the strong partnerships that have made the LHT possible. We must always acknowledge our first three partners—Bristol-Myers Squibb, Educational Testing Services and Mercer County,” Lawrence Hopewell Trail Co-President Eleanor V. Horne said during last week’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“The Lawrence Hopewell Trail has changed the way our municipalities, county and state government work together,” Co-President Becky Taylor said. “One example of this is the shared purchase, funding, and use of the Twin Pines playing fields, which connect to the LHT. This new segment is our latest testament to our shared commitment to work together on behalf of our communities.”

With the opening of the King’s Highway Segment, the trail is now 88 percent complete, according to organizers. This includes 19 of the 22-plus miles of bicycle and pedestrian trails. The trail serves as a transportation corridor through public and private land in Lawrence and Hopewell townships. The goal is to promote health and fitness, recreation and outdoor education.

The Lawrence Hopewell Trail Corporation is a nonprofit organization that depends on the community for support. It is not supported by local tax dollars. The LHT is a key member of the Circuit Trails, a 750-mile network of bicycle and pedestrian trails connecting people to jobs, communities, and parks in the Greater Philadelphia Region. For more information about the LHT, visit www.lhtrail.org.

The attached images were provided by the Lawrence Hopewell Trail Corporation:

In the image that appears before the story: From left, Chris Linn DVRPC, Lisa McCormick-Lavery, Bristol Myers Squibb, Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes, LHT Co-President Eleanor Horne, Hopewell Twp. Mayor Kevin Kuchinski, LHT Co-President Becky Taylor, Lawrence Twp. Mayor David Maffei, and Elise Bremer-Nei, NJODT, take part in the Lawrence Hopewell Trail King's Highway Segment Ribbon Cutting in Lawrence on Friday, September 29, 2017. Photo by Andrew Miller Images, LLC.

The mayors of Hopewell and Lawrence Townships in Mercer County sit side-by-side during today's ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newest segment of the Lawrence Hopewell Trail. LHT leaders noted during the ceremony that not only has the 15-year trail building effort resulted in close to 20 miles of trail, it has also resulted in very strong relations between the two Mercer County towns. Here Hopewell Township Mayor Kevin Kuchinski, left, and Lawrence Township Mayor David Maffei bask in the glory of the new segment, called the King's Highway Segment. To the left is Hopewell Township Committee Woman Kristin McLaughlin and to the right isLeona, Mayor Maffei's wife. Photo by Andrew Miller Images, LLC.

LHT Co-President Eleanor Horne, center, presents a crystal trophy to Lawrence Township Engineer Jim Parvesse for playing several critical roles in the creation of the King’s Highway segment. He designed the segment, drawing on his considerable engineering skills, wrote the successful application for funding, and managed the bid and construction process. At left is LHT Co-President Becky Taylor. Photo by Andrew Miller Images, LLC.