Construction crews continue to work on the site of Fayetteville’s new recreational path bridge, which was installed overnight Saturday just west of Piedmont Fayette Hospital along Highway 54 West. The first walkers, joggers, and bicyclists are expected to have access to it by early 2024.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience and support,” said Director of Community & Economic Development David Rast. “We were as surprised as anyone to learn this bridge installation would take place immediately following our Bicentennial Celebration, but it turned out to be an exciting way to end the day.
“Mayor Johnson and our entire City Council were in attendance along with our City Manager and several staff members, which is a testament to our desire to move Fayetteville forward,” Rast said. “Also, our Public Safety and construction teams did a great job of safely detouring motorists and completing the installation swiftly.”
The bridge weighs 160,000 pounds, spans 186 feet, and has a minimum clearance of 17 feet, six inches. All lanes of Highway 54 were shut down at the construction site around 10 p.m. Saturday, and traffic was detoured using South Sandy Creek Road and Veterans Parkway. It was anticipated that the roadway would be reopened by 5 a.m. Sunday morning, but the reopening actually took place an hour earlier.
“We are excited to proceed with the recreational trail project, which will connect the school complexes on Lester Road with the Piedmont Fayette Hospital campus,” Rast continued. “From there, we are in the planning stages of making further connections into a system that will eventually reach every part of the City of Fayetteville.”
For years, City of Fayetteville leaders have been planning a citywide sidewalk and recreational trail system in collaboration with residents and other community stakeholders. The resulting Master Path Plan is available on the City’s website: https://www.fayetteville-ga.gov/222/Planning-Zoning. The Fayetteville High Priority Trail Study document is also available for viewing and downloading.
I enjoyed watching the installation. I hate being negative, and perhaps I lack proper vision, but I do not see this very expensive “bridge to nowhere” being used much. There are very few golf carts in Fayetteville, and it is too far from the hospital to be used to walk to Togwattee Village and back.
I’m confused about the location of the bridge as well. Are there office or retail establishments planned for this area? Is it like Veterans Parkway = Build it and they will come.
Zillow shows some land next to the hospital sold late last year for $14M. I wouldn’t be surprised if a high density commercial/residential development shows up there. I’m too lazy to dig into it further.