Riverfront Greenway Trail Expected to Open this Summer

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The Riverfront Greenway Trail was designed with one particular goal in mind – to get people closer to the river.

“Montgomery is a river town,not too many people think of Montgomery as a river town,” says Lois Cortell, Montgomery Senior Development Manager.

Lois Cortell has been working closely with the project which is being done in two phases. Phase one is complete. Phase two is now underway.

“We’ve cleared the river and we’ve extended the trail here to this what we call the cypress inlet and the next segment behind me as you can see, we’re building a bridge part of the trail that will go over a pipe of Montgomery Water Works,” says Cortell.

Cortell says there could be future plans to extend beyond the pedestrian and bicycle friendly bridge. While the bridge is expected to be complete this summer, expanding beyond that point could take a few more years.

It’s to connect all of the river with a series of parks and open spaces and trails – so all the way from Maxwell Airforce Base and circling around the Alabama River to the amphitheater here, and then hopefully up-up to Northern Boulevard.”

Cameron Kieffer, manager of Bell Road Cycle says expanding would be something he and other bicyclists would like, especially after news of Montgomery’s adoption of a bike share ordinance.

“That area has a lot of potential and so to be able to ride out and let the wind blow in your hair and see the scenery out there and try to avoid the bugs -the longer the better. I’d like them to expedite that. That would be nice,” says Kieffer.

Once complete, the trail will be well lit and a place for people to move from the amphitheater closer to the river.

“I think it’s a first step of not only appreciating the history and vibrancy of Montgomery but also it’s ecological assets as well,” says Cortell.

Cortell says the trail is expected to be complete sometime this summer.