HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — If you ever spend time walking the trails of Monte Sano, your stroll on the mountain could be getting a whole lot easier with a new mountainside greenway. The new project is expected to provide a safer travel route for pedestrians and cyclists. FOX54 spoke with Hallie Porter, Land Trust of North Alabama Development Director, who shares an update on the project.
Porter explained that the project will be approximately 1.2 miles. "This would be a first step in connecting actually downtown all the way to Monte Sano State Park. This project is to pave a current trail that we have that is natural tread and offer a paved option for people to travel up Monte Sano."
Porter says that this will be the only greenway going up Monte Sano. "It'll start here at the Bankhead parking lot for The Land Trust and go up to what we call the hairpin turn right before the old road into Monte Sano State Park."
While walking the trail, FOX54 asked one Huntsville resident who walks the trail regularly what she thought about the new addition. "It's not a greenway yet, but I come here probably four times a week to walk. And I think it's beautiful. And, I do not think we need another greenway here. I think it's going to disturb the animals that have already been disturbed. And we don't need any more pavement in Huntsville."
As she mentioned, the trail is not a greenway yet. The Land Trust is currently raising funds to make this all a reality. "We've already got, including a pledge from the city of Huntsville. They're going to partner with us on this. So we've got almost $700,000 already raised and we need an additional $300,000. So that's what we're looking to get between now and the end of August."
Porter said if Land Trust meets the demand, here is when we might see this new greenway. "In 2025 is when we look to begin construction on the project and hopefully it'll take about a year to complete."