NEW ALBANY — What started as a region-wide project to connect Southern Indiana residents to the Ohio River Greenway continued with a separate expansion for the City of New Albany.
The Ohio River Greenway project that connects New Albany, Clarksville and Jeffersonville along the river’s shore has been in the works for nearly 30 years.
The city broke ground on a $1.5-million extension project in May that adds on to the Greenway and will lead to a site that will come to be known as River Recreation.
Mayor Jeff Gahan said they have worked to connect New Albany with the rest of the region, now they are making moves to connect the rest of New Albany to the Ohio River.
“The idea is to get as many people connected —via sidewalks, greenway, walking trails — as possible, so they can all enjoy the natural assets,” Gahan said.
The city is working to add two paths near the Sherman Minton Bridge that will meet and connect to the River Recreation park.
The upper path will connect just before the bridge above New Albany Flow Park and will meet with the lower path being constructed below the skate park.
During the construction of the paths, the city is also planning to shift over a part of Water Street, the road running next to the Greenway and skate park, by a few feet. Gahan said that the road now is just a touch too close to the skate ramps, so by shifting the road away there is more of a safety buffer for those using the ramps.
The River Recreation park is what Gahan referred to as the destination. The site will eventually hold family-oriented amenities, opportunities to access the river and the ability to walk or ride bikes.
The site, which housed QRS Recycling for 40 years, was included in the original Ohio River Greenway plan. The idea for this area was added on years later once New Albany acquired the land. It will contribute another 45 acres of shoreline.
New Albany owns all of the property between Silver Creek and Fall Run, which Gahan said that they were fortunate to be able to purchase over time.
“We’re doing our best to make sure that this property is going to be used by the public and is going to be used for improving health, improving access to the Ohio River and just enabling access for the citizens of New Albany to enjoy the natural beauty,” Gahan said.
The park will be ready for people to enjoy by the summer of next year, Gahan said, though the amenities will not be added to the park until a later date.
Gahan said they are also expanding access to the Greenway in the north with a connection near East Spring Street and Providence Way. The city recently began constructing the path, adding gravel before planning to pave it with asphalt. New sidewalk has already been added in the area.
While most of the subdivisions are interconnected through sidewalks, Gahan said this connection gives more direct access to the Ohio River Greenway.
The city is also making way on Silver Creek Landing, breaking ground mid-May.
New posts, benches, sidewalk and brick work have been added under the Spring Street overpass by Providence Way to prepare for the new landing.
The railing that now stands under the overpass will soon be removed and steps and a ramp will be added to lead down to Silver Creek.
“It’s so easy to lose sight of how important these natural resources are because they’ve been here forever,” Gahan said.
Providing easier access to these parts of nature allows residents to explore their hometown and appreciate where they are from, Gahan said.
“I could not be more proud of the work that we’ve done to keep people happy and give them the opportunity to enjoy these natural assets,” he said.
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