City of Hoover wins grant to build $500,000 trail for bicyclists, joggers

The City of Hoover has won a grant that will be used to build a new trail for cyclists, joggers and hikers.

 On March 16, the Hoover City Council approved a resolution 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. On Wednesday, Aug. 5, Hoover city officials received a letter saying its grant request had been approved.

The grant requires a 20 percent match that would have to be appropriated prior to receiving the grant, making the total investment $500,000.

“We are very excited about this great addition to our parks,” Mayor Ivey said in a statement. No timetable has been set for when construction on the new trail begins nor when it will be open to hikers, bicyclists and joggers.

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.  

Hoover City Council President Jack Wright has called the project a “win-win” for the city since the Cahaba River flows throughout Hoover, allowing citizens to take advantage of its natural resources.

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.

Hoover City Councilman John Lyda said the project would be a biking and hiking trail that could eventually connect to Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham.

According to the resolution package approved by the council, 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.