Wetumpka Awarded $175,000 Grant for Riverwalk Pedestrian Bridge

The City of Wetumpka was recently awarded a $175,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission.

These funds will be used to construct a 10-foot wide pedestrian bridge planned as part of Phase 2 of thebWetumpka Riverwalk, which will extend the path from Wetumpka Memorial Park to the Wetumpka Sports Complex. The City will match these funds for a total possible cost of $300,000.

“We are extremely excited about this grant, which will allow us to complete a project begun about 10 years ago,” said Mayor Jerry Willis. “Due to its proximity to the Piedmont Birding Trail, we expect this pathway to support our efforts to develop tourism, in addition to being another asset for residents to enjoy.”

This bridge will be similar to those installed during Phase 1, behind the Wetumpka Civic Center, and is necessary to cross a ravine. City forces will be used to construct the rest of the Riverwalk pathway, whose meandering route was selected to avoid steep slopes and minimize the clearing of hardwood trees. It will be surfaced with decomposed granite, a material that has been billed as an ideal hardscape material for landscaping projects because it is natural, permeable, and inexpensive.

Once complete, this extension will create sidewalk and path system that will stretch from the sports complex in the north to the bike path located on Fort Toulouse Road, or about 3 miles.

Work isn’t expected to begin immediately, however, according to the City’s Planning and Program Director, David Robison. “Many people forget, there are strings attached to grant money,” he said. “Our first task is to conduct an environmental assessment for the project, which could take a couple of months.”

For more information, contact:

J. David Robison

Planning and Program Director

City of Wetumpka, Alabama

O: (334) 567-1313

C : (334) 314-9289