By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

PELHAM – Phase four of Pelham’s Greenway Trail project is set to begin work at the end of February.

The phase of the project plans to connect Pelham’s Entertainment District at Campus 124 with the Pelham Civic Complex & Ice Arena. Furthermore, the new area will join the existing trail that connects with the Canopy and ultimately the entrance of Oak Mountain State Park. The trail will go under Highway 31 along the creek to the top of the parking lot at the civic center.

The Greenway Trail is a 6 ½ mile trail system that is set to connect the sidewalks along Bearden Road to the entrance of Oak Mountain State Park once it is fully completed.

Andre Bittas, Pelham’s director of Development Services & Public Works, gave background on why the project began in the first place.

“Many years ago, the city did an APPLE Study to determine whether there was a natural fit for a trail system in Pelham,” Bittas said. “The study identified areas along Cahaba Valley Creek from Bearden Road all the way to State Park Road as a feasible area to build a trail. Phase one of the trail was completed in 2020 and is the section of trail you find at Pelham City Park. Trail systems aren’t just paths through the woods; they’re a pathway to a better quality of life.”

Bittas then gave a timeline on when Phase IV should be completed.

“The City Council recently approved a contract with Shelby County to complete the site grading for this portion of the trail,” Bittas said. “That is the work that will begin at the end of February and will take several weeks. The next step will be the bid and award process for the actual trail construction, and that is expected to take place later this spring. All of the work related to the completion of phase four should be complete sometime this summer.”

The estimated cost for phase four, according to Bittas, is $1.15 million, and all funds come directly from the city of Pelham.

For more information on phase four of the Greenway Trail project, visit Pelhamalabama.gov/1184/Pelham-Greenway-Trail-Phase-IV.