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Walkers, runners and outdoor enthusiasts of West Point may be getting a new river walk soon. The city of West Point had an input session for a proposed trail that would add to the existing 0.2-mile loop path at the Downtown River Park. It would be called the West Point Woodyard Trail.

The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) applied for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR) Recreational Trails Program last fall. In February the city found out that they had made the cut for the next step of the process, an environmental review. 

Part of the environmental review is public input. The city hosted a public input session at the park on Thursday, where West Point Economic Development Director Meghan Richardson answered questions and feedback from community members. 

Members of the public have a 14-day timeframe to give feedback to the city, which will go into the final environmental review, seen by GDNR. There is an online form on the city’s website which can be found at https://www.cityofwestpointga.com/public_notices/west_point_trail_grant.

The GDNR grant is for $200,000, and the estimated cost of construction is around $260,000. Richardson said the remaining balance would come from the DDA or private investment. Once the review is finished and an agreement is made, the GDNR stipulates construction must begin within two years.

The trail would extend from the current loop trail along the Chattahoochee River to the Alabama border. The land where the new trail will be built is owned by the DDA and was formerly a timber staging area, which is where the name Woodyard Trail comes from. Most of the land will be left a greenspace because it is a wetland. 

The Woodyard Trail would be 0.3 miles. Combined with the loop it would be a half-mile-long riverwalk. It will be an ADA-compliant eight-foot-wide concrete path.

“[The trail] would also include three wildlife viewing platforms. It would have a bench and trash receptacles,” Richardson said. “We also do some signage along the trail. We’re looking at a couple of different ideas for that because I really want to talk about the river in the signage … Make it educational.”

The competitive part of the grant has passed. Once the environmental review finishes, which GDNR does not specify, the project can start. 

“A lot of other cities that have rivers utilize it as a recreational aspect … So I think it’s a good opportunity to get something started,” Richardson said.