Cahaba Riverchase Greenway Map
The proposed Cahaba-Riverchase Grandview Green way Trailhead would be located adjacent to Old Montgomery Highway.
Hoover bicyclists, jogging and hiking enthusiasts could soon see a new $500,000 trail built for their enjoyment.
The Hoover City Council passed a resolution March 16 authorizing Mayor Gary Ivey to submit a $400,000 grant application for the Cahaba-Riverchase Greenway Trailhead Project, a proposed trail just off Old Montgomery Highway (Old Highway 31) in the Riverchase area. If awarded, the grant requires a 20 percent match that would have to be appropriated prior to receiving the grant, making the total investment $500,000.
The application is for the Birmingham Metropolitan Planning Organization, and would be administered by the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham and/or Alabama Department of Transportation, according to the city resolution.
The Cahaba-Riverchase Grandview Greenway Trailhead project, a part of the FY 2015 Transportation Alternatives Program, consists of construction of an off-road trail for pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-motorized forms of transportation. It will also provide access for a future potential Cahaba Blueway canoe launch site.
The proposed project is located in the floodway of the Cahaba River, immediately adjacent to Old Montgomery Highway. It is part of a much larger trail system known as the “Cahaba River Corridor” of the Red Rock Ridge and Valley Trail System. The trail is bordered by Riverchase Elementary School, Arbor Hills subdivision and the Riverchase Planned Community within the Hoover city limits.
"Since the Cahaba River flows throughout Hoover, a developent like this will allow our citizens to take advantage of this great natural resource," said Council President Jack Wright after the meeting. "This is a win-win for our city."
The City of Hoover owns the 34 acres of land where the trail would be built. Construction would consist of clearing land, minimal grading, pouring a 10-foot wide concrete trail, building a boardwalk in areas of wetland encroachment and a small bridge. An asphalt parking lot with drainage will also be constructed.
“This would be a biking and hiking trail that would eventually connect to Railroad Park” in downtown Birmingham, said Hoover City Councilman John Lyda.
According to the resolution, the Cahaba-Riverchase Greenway Trailhead project will be integral to the overall Red Rock Trail-Cahaba Corridor. “It will open up the natural beauty of the Cahaba River to the casual walker and bike rider, as well as, providing the first step to a multi-mile greenway along the entire river,” the resolution states.
The project will also have a positive impact on surrounding communities, city officials say. “We anticipate a much broader impact to the entire central/western area of Hoover with this being a trailhead for the much larger Red Rock Ridge Trail and with the addition of the canoe launch and the open meadow area beside the trail,” the resolution says.
Both the Riverchase community and Arbor Hills community have been deeply involved in and support efforts to construct the trail, according to the resolution. The homeowners’ associations of both areas have had representatives walk, discuss and plan the project and believe the connection to the larger trail system will boost the quality of life in their neighborhoods, the resolution states. The Riverchase Homeowners Association has provided the funding for the preliminary design of the proposed trail project.
The Hoover Parks and Recreation Department would maintain the park daily, with anticipated minor asphalt/concrete repairs estimated every 10 years at a cost of $40,000. The trail will also need to be cleaned after large rainfalls, and it will require minor bridge and boardwalk maintenance every decade for an estimated $20,000. City officials anticipate the trail project can last a minimum 50 years.
