Bridging the Gap: Contractors Install Verdae Pedestrian Bridge for Swamp Rabbit Trail Extension

The long-awaited expansion of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail took a massive physical leap forward this week as construction crews successfully installed a brand-new pedestrian bridge over one of the area’s busiest thoroughfares.

In an update shared by the City of Greenville, officials announced that contractors placed the primary span of the new Verdae Pedestrian Bridge overnight on Monday, July 6, 2026. The intricate overnight operation marks a major milestone for the ongoing extension of the trail’s Green Line, which is designed to eventually connect downtown Greenville directly to the Golden Strip.

The new 1,180-foot-long structure is built to eliminate a dangerous at-grade crossing along Verdae Boulevard, a corridor that sees an average traffic count of roughly 15,000 vehicles every day. Planners noted that with Green Line user numbers climbing, separating pedestrian and bicycle traffic from the busy roadway was a top safety priority.

According to Assistant City Engineer Nick De Palma, the new bridge serves as a vital piece of the Swamp Rabbit Trail extension. By removing the need for pedestrians and cyclists to cross at street level, the project creates a significantly safer experience for trail users while simultaneously improving the overall flow of vehicular traffic for drivers on the road below.

Project Funding and Timeline

The construction represents a significant regional infrastructure investment, drawing from both local and state resources:

• $4.5 Million in City Capital Improvement Project funding

• $2.9 Million in South Carolina state funding earmarks

While the physical structure is now in place, the bridge is not yet open to public traffic. Over the next few months, contractors will remain on-site to pave the bridge deck, install safety handrails, and finish final infrastructure connections. The bridge is officially scheduled to open to the public in the fall of 2026.

Connecting to the Golden Strip

The placement of the bridge clears the path for the next phase of the trail network’s expansion. Once the bridge officially opens this fall, Greenville County crews will immediately begin a 60-day project to pave the trail extension from Verdae Boulevard to Millennium Boulevard, effectively stretching the Green Line’s continuous reach from Cleveland Park to the CU-ICAR campus.

City and county planners are already working on subsequent phases of the Master Plan, which will eventually push the Green Line further south from Millennium Boulevard to Innovation Drive, ultimately linking the trail network into the City of Mauldin and toward Laurens County.