Tennessee River Greenway completes key pedestrian loop
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Cyclists especially are expected to take advantage of the new connection. Photo: Derek Lacey/Axios
It's official, the Tennessee River Greenway is complete and open.
Why it matters: The short connection, just a mile and a half or so, completes a much larger loop that's providing a pedestrian connection encircling most of South Huntsville.
The latest: City officials on Wednesday morning cut the ribbon on the greenway at its entrance on Redstone Road, near Gate 3.
- The section connects the Tennessee River Greenway's more southerly stretch, from Green Cove Road along the river to Ditto Landing to the Elgie's Walk Greenway running alongside Haysland Road.
What they're saying: "The abundance and availability of these spaces throughout Huntsville really does set our city apart," said District 3 Council member Jennie Robinson, whose district covers the area.
Driving the news: There's now a continuous loop of about 17 miles connecting a large portion of South Huntsville once Aldridge Creek Greenway, which connects just north of Ditto Landing, is added to the mix.
- "The greenway loop began about 20 years ago with Aldridge Creek Greenway," Mayor Tommy Battle said. "And looking to the future, the city is growing a greenway network in all corners of our city."
Zoom out: There's a lot of development underway along that loop, including new houses and apartments under construction along Haysland Road, the new Hays Farm Park and the soon-to-open event center at Ditto Landing.
- Once the city's Bailey Cove Road multi-use path comes online, too, the loop gets even longer (21.36 miles) and adds connections to Jones Valley, with its Target-anchored shopping center and Jones Farm Park.
- "There's been a lot of development that's been happening around it," Robinson said. "We're going to see even more of that as this loop is extended on Bailey Cove."
💠Derek's thought bubble: I live very close to this greenway and have written about this project before — a couple of times.
- I also know that it has been a hot spot for dirt bikes and other off-road vehicles now banned from the area, as they are at all greenways and city parks.
- James Gossett, Parks and Recreation director, told me that more signage, including "Beware of alligators" signs, are on the way, but there'll be no gate for the entrance at Autumn Ridge Drive.
- "When you see those kinds of things, you've got to say something," he said. "You've got to report it."