New kayak launch coming to Roanoke

(Copyright by WSLS - All rights reserved)

ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - The Roanoke Valley Regional Partnership breaks ground on a brand new kayak launch next to Carilion Hospital.

The group raised $77 thousand in three months, all from private money.

Recommended Videos



Members say they've seen a demand for more access to the Roanoke River, and hope the ramp will bring the city and its outdoor businesses closer to the natural resource.

"We identified the areas that need better access, and this is one of those, so throughout the process, we're constantly identifying how can we improve access to the outdoors? So this is a perfect example of how we're doing that, we're improving our outdoor infrastructure," said Partnership member Pete Eshelman.

Construction will begin in a few days.

The group hopes to have the new ramp open to the public by the end of August.