ASU-to-Downtown Groundbreaking

D ougherty County Board of Commissioners and Albany State University (ASU) partnered on Thursday, March 9, 2023, to hold an official Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Flint River Trail, ASU to Downtown portion of the Flint River Trail System. The ceremony took place at 10 a.m. at ASU East, Lower Campus, located at 504 College Drive at the old softball fields.

This portion of Dougherty County’s Trail System involves the installation of approximately 1.3 miles of a concrete multipurpose trail in the Downtown area of Albany, between the Broad Avenue bridge and Albany State University’s East Campus.

Designed to following an existing pathway, the trail will start on the northeast side of the Broad Avenue bridge, travel down the hill and loop under both the Broad Avenue bridge and the Oglethorpe Boulevard bridge. From here, it will head south for a couple of hundred yards before climbing to the top of the large berm/ dike running between the ASU campus and the Flint River.

With Dougherty County’s completion of four miles of the Flint River Trail at Radium Springs last November, this project will bring more promise to one day connecting the ASU portion of the trail from the other side all the way to Radium Springs, providing miles of continuous trail for residents, students, visitors, and the entire community to enjoy.

“Dougherty County is excited to finally bring this portion of the county trail to our community, especially to the thousands of ASU students who will be able to run, walk, or bike along the trail from the ASU campus to Downtown Albany, providing a significant connection between the cam-pus and the downtown district,” said Lorenzo L. Heard, Chairman of the Dougherty County Board of Commissioners.

Albany State University is a proud community partner to the city of CONTINUED ON

Albany, Dougherty County, and the state of Georgia. The Flint River Trail’s connection from the heart of downtown Albany through our East Campus will enhance ASU’s partnership with our community by providing recreational space for a healthier Albany and ASU,” said Marion Ross Fedrick, President of Albany State University. “Collaborations like the Flint River Trails project supports the institution’s goal for greater community involvement while developing a deeper connection and understanding to the history of ASU and Albany, which is so closely intertwined (or use one and the same). The project furthers the university’s commitment to our overall health and wellness goal in support of robust health sciences programs and other community partnerships.”