Sunset Beach, Carolina Shores, and Calabash just took another coordinated step toward a shared pedestrian and bicycle path—one that would link Sunset Beach Town Park to shopping in Carolina Shores by way of Calabash. Construction is still years away. What happened this fall is funding for a feasibility study, not shovels in the ground. For owners and buyers along Beach Drive SW, Country Club Drive, and the Calabash commercial strip, that distinction matters.
Here is what the three towns approved, how the proposed route is described, and what “feasibility” actually means for your street.
What the Three Towns Approved
As reported Nov. 5, 2026, by Jenna Lapp of the Brunswick Beacon (via newsargus.com), the governing boards of Sunset Beach, Carolina Shores, and Calabash each unanimously approved October resolutions committing $8,000 toward a feasibility study application. Combined, that $24,000 is framed as a 20% local match for a grant through the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Integrated Mobility Division, which would cover the remaining 80% of the study’s cost if awarded.
The Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments, acting for the Grand Strand Area Transportation Study (GSATS) Metropolitan Planning Organization, is coordinating the grant application. Calabash Town Administrator Michael Price told the Beacon the recent resolutions commit the towns only to their shares of the study—not to additional construction costs or future improvements.
The Route Concept on the Table
The Beacon describes a proposed route running from Sunset Beach Town Park along Beach Drive SW, across the Calabash River bridge and through Calabash, then connecting to the Food Lion shopping center in Carolina Shores via Country Club Drive. Price called multi-jurisdictional connectivity between the three towns “exactly what we were advocating for,” tying the idea to easing tourist pressure on the beach corridor.
That is still a concept route. The feasibility study, if funded, is meant to pin down costs, evaluate potential alignments, and flag challenges around rights-of-way, utilities, environmental conditions, and roadway crossings—points Sunset Beach Town Administrator Dane Rideout highlighted in the same article.
Timeline Reality Check
The Beacon notes the project has been in the works for several years and that all three towns received approval for separate state grant funding in 2025 to construct their respective portions. Even so, construction remains several years away. The towns have indicated plans to build the multi-modal path at the same time as NCDOT’s next routine resurfacing in the subject area.
Rideout’s quote in the Beacon is worth keeping in mind for listing remarks and buyer questions: this is not a vote that means construction appears “very soon.” Projects like this start with studies. Owners should not market a finished trail that does not yet exist, and buyers should not price a path as if it were already poured.
What Owners and Buyers Should Do With This News
- Update guest guides and listing remarks with accurate language: “towns advancing a feasibility study for a future multi-town path,” not “bike path under construction.”
- If you live on or near Beach Drive SW, the Calabash River bridge approaches, or Country Club Drive, watch future public meetings for right-of-way or driveway details once a preferred alignment emerges.
- Vacation hosts in Sunset Beach can eventually sell walkability to Calabash dining and Carolina Shores shopping—but only after the path is real. For now, the story is planning cooperation among three towns.
- Ask your agent for comps and narratives that reflect today’s access pattern (cars, golf carts where allowed, existing sidewalks), not a future corridor.
- Follow Waccamaw RCOG / GSATS and each town’s agenda packets for grant award news; the local match is committed, but the state grant still has to land.
Why the Path Idea Resonates Locally
Western Brunswick’s beach and mainland towns already share traffic, tourism, and shopping trips. A continuous pedestrian and bike link would give residents and guests another way to move between Sunset Beach’s park, Calabash’s restaurant row, and Carolina Shores’ grocery-centered commercial area—especially valuable in peak season when Beach Drive and the bridge feel tight.
For the housing market, amenities like this tend to matter most once people can use them. Until then, treat the Beacon’s reporting as a transparency win: three councils putting money toward analysis instead of advertising a ribbon-cutting date they cannot keep.
FAQ
Is the multi-modal path approved for construction?
No. The October resolutions commit local match money for a feasibility study grant application. Construction is described as several years away and likely timed with future NCDOT resurfacing.
How much did each town pledge?
$8,000 each, for a combined $24,000 local match (20%), per the Brunswick Beacon’s Nov. 5, 2026 report.
Where would the path go?
As currently described: Sunset Beach Town Park along Beach Drive SW, across the Calabash River bridge through Calabash, then to the Food Lion area in Carolina Shores via Country Club Drive. Alignments can change after study.
Who is coordinating the grant?
Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments on behalf of GSATS, according to the Beacon.
Talk With a Local Team
Buying or selling near Sunset Beach, Carolina Shores, or Calabash and want the planning story told accurately in your listing or search? Connect with Aspyre Collective for Brunswick County guidance that stays current with town and NCDOT updates.
