A two-mile greenway - or environmentally friendly walking and biking trail - is scheduled to open through the heart of Knightdale in early 2013.

The Mingo Creek greenway, as it's known, will stretch from Hodge Road to Mingo Creek Park in Knightdale. It will be the town's first major public multi-use trail.

Plans for the path have been in the works for years, but town engineers and independent designers are now putting finishing touches on a blueprint that will lead to the trail's construction.

"This will be good for people who want to be able to walk and teach their kids to ride a bike," says Iona Thomas, lead planner with Raleigh-based Stewart Design, which Knightdale hired for the project.

"The experience on this trail is going to be nice because it's going through a stream and wetland system," she said.

Trails and boardwalks will follow Mingo Creek, leaving the vegetation largely untouched along the route.

The goal of the project is to create the smallest environmental footprint possible, Thomas said. Designers hope to preserve the marsh grasses and small shrubs that dominate the creek banks.

The greenway will be a welcome addition to townfolk who in a recent citizen survey cried out for more recreation opportunities in town.

Currently, Knightdale boasts few trails other than a half-mile path in the Princeton Manor neighborhood. Some subdivisions feature private greenways, but their uses are limited.

Thomas said Knightdale should be able to snag new residents as well as those who currently communte elsewhere for outdoor exercise.

The popularity of greenways is rising, she says.

"Greenways are the number one amenity citizens look for when moving to a new town," Thomas said.

Once finished, the Mingo Creek greenway will connect to the Neuse River Trail - a 30-mile stretch which starts at Falls Lake in Raleigh and extends into Johnston County near Clayton.

The 30-mile path is expected to be completed in late 2012, Thomas said.

The two-mile trail in Knightdale is expected to cost between $140,000 and $2 million, she added.

The final price and plans aren't official until Knightdale Town Council votes to accept them.

Knightdale will begin accepting bids for the project later this year.