Project Summary
This first segment of the Rail to Trail, known now as Firefly Trail, connected downtown Athens near the multimodal transit center to the vicinity of the Athens-Clarke Park-n-Ride lot near the Athens bypass and a connection to the North Oconee River Greenway network. This project includes a 14’ wide trail that is approximately 1 mile in length. The trail section includes a 2’ porous concrete section to offset stormwater runoff in the urban area of Athens-Clarke County.
The project also included a 400’ bicycle/pedestrian bridge over the North Oconee River reusing two existing abandoned rail road piers and a 100’ bridge spanning Peter Street. All construction was in accordance with FHWA, GDOT, ADA rules and regulations. Design and land acquisition of this section of the trial was competed under the SPLOST 2005 program.
For more information on this project, visit park planning here.
Key Project Statistics
- Designer: Prime Engineering
- Contractor: Massana Construction
- Program Manager: Jacobs Engineering
- Sponsor: Leisure Services
- Original SPLOST Budget: $6,711,593
- Amended Budget: $5,868,250
- Total Cost: $5,868,250
- Completion Date: June 2018
