Southern portion of Big Creek Greenway and Halcyon Trailhead reopened
Press Release March 22, 2022
PRESS RELEASE
Forsyth County, Ga. – County and public leaders gathered March 22 to reopen a renovated portion of the Big Creek Greenway multi-use trail from McFarland Pkwy. (mile marker 1.5) to Union Hill Road (mile marker 3.6).
This portion of the Greenway has been closed since late 2020 for the replacement of wooden boardwalk sections and to raise the trail profile in some areas. In addition to the trail, the Halcyon Trailhead (6265 Cortland Walk) now includes access to parking and new restroom facilities.
“We have been hard at work to make the repairs to this popular portion of the Greenway and to give it the update it needed,” said Parks & Recreation Director Jim Pryor. “The public’s patience during the renovation period has been greatly appreciated. Our staff and partners at Halcyon are eager to reopen the Greenway and connect residents to the wonderful amenities at Halcyon.”
The addition of the Halcyon Trailhead provides public users with 75 parking spaces as well as a new restroom facility featuring the Big Creek Greenway Logo on the side of building. “Halcyon intersects the best of dining, shopping and entertaining with living, working and recreating – a place for people to connect and experience.
A major part of the destination’s ability to bring people together is the Big Creek Greenway,” said RocaPoint Partners Principal Phil Mays. “The trail leads straight to Halcyon’s front door, giving bikers, runners and walkers direct access to all the amenities onsite, while still providing an opportunity for open-air exercise. As the weather starts to warm up, it couldn’t be a better time to celebrate the reopening of the trail and we’re excited to once again partner with Forsyth County on such a remarkable milestone for the community.”
With the Summer 2021 addition of Phase V of the Greenway, the multi-use trail now extends from McGinnis Ferry Road to the Sawnee Mountain Preserve. To view an interactive map of the Greenway, see up-to-date trail status and closure updates, please visit https://parks.forsythco.com/Parks-and-Facilities/Big-Creek-Greenway
A portion of Big Creek Greenway, Halcyon Trailhead to reopen March 22
Press Release March 9, 2022
PRESS RELEASE
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. – A renovated portion of the Big Creek Greenway multi-use trail from McFarland Pkwy. (mile marker 1.5) to Union Hill Road (mile marker 3.6) will reopen to the public on March 22.In addition, the Halcyon Trailhead (6265 Cortland Walk) will open with access to parking and new restroom facilities.
This portion of the Greenway has been closed since late 2020 for the replacement of wooden boardwalk sections and to raise the trail profile in some areas. “We have been hard at work to make the repairs to this popular portion of the Greenway and to give it the update it needed,” said Parks & Recreation Director Jim Pryor.
“The public’s patience during the renovation period has been greatly appreciated. Our staff and partners at Halcyon are eager to reopen the Greenway and connect residents to the wonderful amenities at Halcyon.”
The addition of the Halcyon Trailhead will provide public users with 75 parking spaces as well as a new restroom facility featuring the Big Creek Greenway Logo on the side of building. “Halcyon intersects the best of dining, shopping and entertaining with living, working and recreating – a place for people to connect and experience.
A major part of the destination’s ability to bring people together is the Big Creek Greenway,” said RocaPoint Partners Principal Phil Mays. “The trail leads straight to Halcyon’s front door, giving bikers, runners and walkers direct access to all the amenities onsite, while still providing an opportunity for open-air exercise.
As the weather starts to warm up, it couldn’t be a better time to celebrate the reopening of the trail and we’re excited to once again partner with Forsyth County on such a remarkable milestone for the community.”
A reopening ribbon cutting ceremony is planned at the Halcyon Trailhead for 10 a.m. on March 22. With the Summer 2021 addition of Phase V of the Greenway, the multi-use trail now extends from McGinnis Ferry Road to the Sawnee Mountain Preserve and has five access trailheads. To view an interactive map of the Greenway, see up-to-date trail status and closure updates, please click here. ##
BOC to award contract for rehabilitation of Big Creek Greenway Boardwalk today
News December 7, 2021
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga — With 2021 rapidly drawing to a close, the Board of Commissioners will wrap up a number of year-end housekeeping items along with a project that will take most of 2022 to complete — the rehabilitation of the Big Creek Greenway Boardwalk — when it meets in a work session today at 2 p.m. in the County Administration Building.
The trail weaves its way through wetlands and swampland and over time the wood on the boardwalk has deteriorated. The portion of the trail that runs from south of Fowler Park to north MacFarland Parkway had to be closed for repairs. Now repairs will be required on a second section of the trail. The repairs have been budgeted at $5 million from the county’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax VIII.
The Board has also been considering asking the state delegation to create local legislation to allow for the election of a County-Wide Chair. County staff is expected to bring back scenarios regarding the Cost of Living Raises (COLA) to include examples of what salaries would look like if the Board received the same COLA as County staff in support of that effort.
Two other important issues to be considered today is Task Order 26 with CH2M Hill, Inc. for the full design of the Forsyth County Water Intake, Tunnel, and Pump Station at an amount not to exceed the amount of $4,236,700 and Task Order 4 with Prime Engineering Inc. in the not to exceed amount of $1,265,767.08 regarding the Forsyth County Raw Water Transmission Main Design.
7th District Congresswoman visits Forsyth County
Featured Stories June 14, 2021
Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — On Monday, June 14, Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux (GA-07) visited Forsyth County’s Fowler Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) and Big Creek Greenway as part of a tour of infrastructure facilities in her district highlighting initiatives and legislation she supports for improved infrastructure.
Photos from the visit, along with general B-Roll video and a brief interview with Congresswoman Bourdeaux regarding her visit to the WRF, can be found by clicking here for download and use in your coverage as needed.
During the visit, Congresswoman Bourdeaux was provided a guided tour of the WRF to get a look at the process for cleaning and returning water back into the environment. The Fowler WRF recently underwent an expansion to increase capacity from 2.5 MGD to 5 MGD (million gallons per day). The expansion was made to accommodate growth in the area, as well as provide redundancy within the system. The Fowler facility also had additional improvements, including upgrades to existing systems and equipment.
Following her visit to the WRF, Congresswoman Bourdeaux was taken on a tour of a portion of the County’s Big Creek Greenway. On the tour, she was able to visit a closed portion of the greenway in need of boardwalk repair as part of her support for legislation that would improve infrastructure.
Two segments of Big Creekway now open
Press Release June 6, 2021
PRESS RELEASE
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Two segments of Phase V of the Big Creek Greenway trail system are now open following a ribbon cutting ceremony held on June 3.
One of the segments of Phase V extends the Greenway from the intersection of Kelly Mill Road and Johnson Road to Canton Hwy. (SR 20), a distance of 2.27 miles. The other segment of Phase V now open originates at the intersection of SR 20 and the Spot Road Connector. That segment travels along the Spot Road Connector, Doc Bramblett Road and Spot Road, ending at the Sawnee Mountain Preserve and Visitor Center, a distance of 2.48 miles.
In the future, an additional one-mile segment of Phase V will run parallel to SR 20, connecting all portions of the Greenway. This segment will be constructed at a later date as part of the planned GDOT widening of Canton Hwy. When complete, Phase V of the Greenway will extend the multi-use trail an additional 5.7 miles from Kelly Mill Road to the Sawnee Mountain Preserve Visitor Center (4075 Spot Road), making the entire Forsyth County Big Creek Greenway just over 16.5 miles in length.
Funding for this project was provided by the Parks, Recreation and Green Space Bond & SPLOST.
Ribbon cutting ceremony set for Big Creek Greenway extensions June 3
Press Release May 29, 2021
PRESS RELEASE
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. – Forsyth County officials will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open two segments of the Phase V portion of the Big Creek Greenway at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 3.
“We are excited to offer these extensions of the Greenway that will eventually connect the trail system from the southern County border to the Sawnee Mountain Preserve,” said Parks & Recreation Department Director Jim Pryor.
One of the two segments of Phase V opening June 3 will extend the Greenway from the intersection of Kelly Mill Road and Johnson Road to Canton Hwy. (SR 20), a distance of 2.27 miles. The other segment of Phase V opening June 3 originates at the intersection of SR 20 and the Spot Road Connector. That segment travels along the Spot Road Connector, Doc Bramblett Road and Spot Road, ending at the Sawnee Mountain Preserve and Visitor Center, a distance of 2.48 miles.
In the future, an additional one-mile segment of Phase V will run parallel to SR 20, connecting all portions of the Greenway. This segment will be constructed at a later date as part of the planned GDOT widening of Canton Hwy.
When complete, Phase V of the Greenway will extend the multi-use trail an additional 5.7 miles from Kelly Mill Road to the Sawnee Mountain Preserve Visitor Center (4075 Spot Road), making the entire Forsyth County Big Creek Greenway just over 16.5 miles in length.
Sections of Big Creek Greenway closed
Featured Stories May 24, 2021
PRESS RELEASE
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The following sections of the Big Creek Greenway multi-use trail are closed for repairs:
*Union Hill Rd. (marker 3.7) to Fowler Park (marker 4.6)
Bethelview Rd. (marker 8.3) to Kelly Mill Rd. (marker 10.2)
McFarland Pkwy. (marker 1.5) to Union Hill Rd. (marker 3.6)
* The Union Hill parking lot connected to the trailhead will also be closed through the duration of the trail closure.
Patrons will not be allowed to access these portions of the greenway during the construction periods. Updates will be provided on the County social media channels and at Forsythco.com.
Portion of Big Creek Greenway Closed for renovation project
News September 20, 2020
Forsyth County, Ga. – The section of the Big Creek Greenway multi-use trail from McFarland Pkwy. (mile marker 1.5) to Union Hill Road (mile marker 3.6) is closed due to recent damages and flooding as a result of Tropical Depression Sally, including downed trees and damaged portions of the boardwalk. In addition, renovations to this section will begin soon. The renovation project is anticipated to be completed in 2021.
This project will include the replacement of existing wooden boardwalk sections and raising the profile in some areas of the trail. Walkers, runners and bikers will continue to have access to approximately nine miles of the Greenway trail during the closure. Also, the four trailheads located at Halcyon (6265 Cortland Walk), Union Hill Road (5259 Union Hill Road), Fowler Park (4110 Carolene Way) and Bethelview Road (5120 Bethelview Road) will remain open.
“The section that is being renovated is part of Phase I which opened in 2009 and has been well used and loved by the community,” said Parks & Recreation Director Jim Pryor, “This renovation will improve the safety and function of the Greenway and we look forward to re-opening it next year.”
The renovation design was provided by Heath & Lineback Engineering and the construction is being completed by Excellere Construction, LLC. The project is being funded by SPLOST VIII.
For more information about this project or the Big Creek Greenway, please visit parks.forsythco.com
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