Project Overview

Old Lenoir Road is set to get a makeover thanks to approximately $10 million in grant funding from the Greater Hickory Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). At its May 7, 2019 meeting, Hickory City Council unanimously approved an agreement with NCDOT to receive federal funds to construct a multiuse trail and make streetscape improvements along Old Lenoir Road, which will be known as the OLLE Art Walk (formerly Old Lenoir Walk). Hickory City Council is moving this project forward by matching the federal funding, which covers 80 percent of the cost. The 20 percent local match will be met with local bond funds from the Crafting Hickory initiative.

OLLE Art Walk is a planned multiuse path that will connect multiple sections of the Hickory Trail network that is being developed by the City of Hickory under the Crafting Hickory initiative and $40 million bond referendum passed by Hickory voters. The OLLE Art Walk will create a connection between City Walk, Aviation Walk, and Riverwalk. 

The OLLE Art Walk is shown as the orange highlighted route on the alignment map at the bottom of this page and is described below:

• Southern Limit: Trail Connects to Future City Walk at 9th Street NW and Main Avenue NW
• 9th Street NW - West Side of Road
• 3rd Avenue Court NW - South Side of Road from 2nd Avenue NW to 3rd Avenue Drive NW
• 3rd Avenue Drive NW - West Side of Road form 3rd Avenue Court NW to 9th Street NW
• 3rd Avenue Drive NW – West Side of Road from 9th Street NW to 10th Street Boulevard NW
• Trail connects to City Walk at 10th Street Boulevard and Realigned 11th Street NW Intersection
• Old Lenoir Road – East Side of Road form 10th Street Blvd NW to Hickory Water Treatment Facility
• Trail connects to Aviation Walk at Clement Boulevard NW
• North Limit: Trail Connects to Future Riverwalk above 15th Avenue NW and Hickory Water Treatment
   

The OLLE Art Walk project is a critical pedestrian and bicycle connection for the City of Hickory and will tie together a number of ongoing trail projects and planned parks that the City has been working on. The broader Hickory Trail will provide bicycle and pedestrian safety while connecting popular destinations and amenities. The Trail, along with the City’s culture of providing an atmosphere for dynamic growth and robust development, will be a major asset in the community’s effort to craft a strong economy, provide good jobs, and create a desirable quality of life for residents.

Utility relocation is currently underway along Old Lenoir Road. The City expects to bid the OLLE Art Walk project in fall 2023. Construction of this section will take approximately 24 months. 

Project Alignment Map and Renderings