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First reporting August 31, updates at the bottom.

The 'Beaufort Rail Trail' project is about to get a lot more real thanks to funding for paved paths.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation has received a $1,043,520 grant from the Federal Highway Administration. The grant requires a 20% local match, for a total funding of $1,304,400. 

The plan is to construct a few miles of a paved bike and pedestrian path to focus on the areas between Allison Road near Beaufort Memorial Hospital and Robert Smalls Parkway.

Also, according to a post from the "Friends of the Beaufort County Rail Trail," a name was selected at Monday's meeting, "The Spanish Moss Trail."

Update August 4: We've heard back from a county official involved with the project and while the plans are still in the early stages we do have some details about the bridges along the stretch.

The trestle behind the Technical College of the Lowcountry is made of wood and may have a deck made of wood, a composite material, or have a wooden deck that is paved over.  The other trestle (near SC170 running from the county government area) is made of concrete and will likely be paved with the same material that the rest of the trail.

Update October 17: The Island Packet notes that on October 10 Beaufort County Council approved the needed 20% local match.

Update November 8: Details continue to emerge and The Island Packet has a few more specifics (read them here) and a map of the proposed trail features and parks (see that here).

Keep an eye on our rails-to-trails topic page for past coverage and future updates.