PATH December 2021 Newsletter

PATH CONNECTING COMMUNITIES ACROSS GEORGIA WITH 300 MILES OF TRAILS

December 2021, Issue #105

NEWS

Brushy Mountain Tunnel page 2

PATH Foundation A Non-Profit Organization Dedicated to Planning and Building Greenway Trails Cover art by Jon Schaubhut DECEMBER 2021

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To help commemorate our 30th year, we are sharing bits of trail-building history that we think today’s trail users will enjoy. In this issue, we have chosen to feature two destinations along the Silver Comet Trail: The Brushy Mountain Tunnel and the Pumpkinvine Creek Trestle. We hope you enjoy the stories of how each was transformed to provide passage for millions of trail users each year.

Pete Pellegrini helps GRITS member across a spring-fed creek near tunnel entrance

Lewallen crew pouring Silver Comet in side tunnel

Tunnel Vision Repurposing the Brushy Mountain Tunnel

By Ed McBrayer

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remember when we first tried to find the Brushy Mountain Tunnel. It was the summer of 1999.

Pete Pellegrini and I had convinced some of the Georgia Rails into Trails (GRITS) folks to help us find it. They had advocated use of the corridor for a trail for several years. They all jumped at the chance to help us find the tunnel. We were also accompanied

by Larry Lewallen, who we had selected to convert the rail corridor, including the tunnel, to a trail.

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We first attempted to reach the tunnel from Brushy Mountain Road but we couldn’t tell where the rail corridor crossed under from the road. Next, we started walking the abandoned rail corridor from Coot’s Lake Road.

We hiked, what seemed like miles, weaving in and out of tall grass, between spring-fed puddles, constantly mindful of the slithery creatures that might be lurking in the swamp-like conditions. By

the time we spotted the entrance to the tunnel, we were wading through four inches of flowing water.

The tunnel entrance was magnificent! The 23-foothigh concrete headwall framed the arched tunnel, all of which were in excellent shape. Entry into the tunnel was thwarted by waist-deep water flowing steadily from east to west.

Except for the water dripping from the top of the tunnel, it was deathly quiet. Larry Lewallen’s mind was racing. He would ultimately be charged with devising a plan to dewater the tunnel and retrofit it with a trail. He pictured a drain field through lots and lots of gravel.

Several months after completing the tunnel project, PATH started getting complaints about mud and rocks draining into the tunnel from the east end. Runoff from the road above was depositing considerable debris on the new trail. PATH funded a local bicyclist and his friends to alleviate the problem. Their rerouting of the runoff along with a trench drain across the trail, did the trick.

I still hoot and holler to hear the echo every time I go through the tunnel. It just seems like the thing to do. It was as much fun retrofitting the tunnel for the Silver Comet Trail as it is riding through it today. l

I remember how excited we were to get started on this project. We knew this was going to be a favored destination on the trail for years to come. We took measurements and a few pictures and just stared at the tunnel entrance for a bit before we started the trek back to Coot’s Lake Road.

Pete and I reasoned that all that water collected by the drain field could be discharged into a small pond on the Rockmart side that could feed a creek alongside the trail. Larry incorporated our pond and creek idea into the plan and added a seat wall for youngsters to view the pond. Locals later stocked the pond with goldfish. They were gone in a week.

(Several well-fed herons were seen frequenting the area.)

Lewallen’s crew installed French drain lines and hauled gravel to fill the tunnel for several days. After pouring the trail, we pressure washed a hundred years of love notes and worse from the ceiling and walls of the tunnel. We also installed permanent lighting.

Lewallen’s crew completed the trail from Coot’s Lake to the tunnel in about five months. We met with Coot, owner of the Coot’s Lake recreation center, who graciously agreed to let us build a parking area for the trail on his land.

The trail from Coot’s Lake to the tunnel remained a stand-alone trail for almost a year, while GDOT built the tunnel under US 278, west of Coot’s Lake Road.

Meanwhile, we found the money to extend the trail from the tunnel back toward Smyrna.

Water from inside tunnel still flowing 1000 feet west of tunnel

Facts about Brushy Mountain Tunnel:

• Originally built by hand in 1912; retrofitted for 3 tier container cars in 19 68 (track was lowered) • Built by Seaboard Air Line Railroad • 800 feet long • Indentations in sidew alls accommodated workers while trains pa ssed

• Abandoned by railroad in 1988; bought by State of Georgia 1991 • Retrofitted for the trail

in 1999-2000

DECEMBER 2021

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Terrific Trestle

Retrofitting the Pumpkinvine Creek Trestle

By Ed McBrayer

Crews removing railroad ties

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he PATH team with Lewallen’s crew in tow, decided we would walk across the abandoned trestle to get a firsthand look at what we were up against. We were on the west end, closest to US 278.

We got about a fourth of the way across and found ourselves crouching lower and lower. A missing tie or two had us staring down at the creek a hundred feet below. Gusty winds, that seemed to appear out of nowhere, threatened to blow us off into Pumpkinvine Creek below. We carefully turned around and worked our way back to solid ground. There was no need to risk injury on a reconnaissance mission.

A GDOT bridge inspector later determined the substructure was

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in good shape; certainly, capable of handling bike/pedestrian loads.

Larry Lewallen and his crew devised a plan for retrofitting the trestle that was genius. They would remove the wooden ties and replace them with 12’ x 12’ x 6” preformed structural concrete slabs, predrilled to accept the railing. The genius part was outfitting a bobcat and forklift with train wheels that exactly fit the substructural beam.

The ties were removed to expose the metal substructure. The slabs were brought by semi trucks to the east end of the trestle, picked up by the forklift and transported to the other end of the trestle.

This procedure was repeated until the concrete surface covered the metal structure.

One unique feature on this trestle is the bump outs, mimicking the wooden bump outs where railroad workers took refuge when a train passed. They were included by extending those slabs past the others and jogging the handrail to match. Next time you cross the trestle, look down for the original wooden bump out that we torched off when the trestle work was done.

After the decking was installed, the handrails were attached using the predrilled slots in each slab. The space between each slab was caulked and the trestle was complete.

I don’t know about you but I still sense a little acrophobia each time I cross the trestle. I have to stop mid-trestle and step out onto one of the bump outs. It’s exciting! l

Trestle substructure after ties were removed

Facts about the reek Pumpkinvine C Trestle 1901 • Originally built in Air Line Railroad • Built by Seaboard

• 750 feet long mpkinvine Creek • 126 feet above Pu e of 90; bought by Stat • Abandoned in 19 Georgia in 1991 00 ke/pedestrian in 20 • Retrofitted for bi

Pumpkinvine Trestle before work began

DECEMBER 2021

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Trail to Chattahoochee River and Morgan Falls PATH and the City of Sandy Springs have started development of a trail that will connect the park along the Chattahoochee River at Morgan Falls to Roswell Road.

The trail will feature a boardwalk bridge across Orkin Lake within the Edgewater apartment complex. Bridge Investment Group, owners of the complex, worked cooperatively with the city and the PATH design team to make the trail a reality.

The City of Sandy Springs will fund the lion’s share of the cost. PATH will utilize your donations to fund project development and construction management. PATH will also provide construction management at no cost to Sandy Springs.

Proposed boardwalk bridge over Orkin Lake

This will be the initial project built from the Sandy Springs Trail Master Plan, developed by the PATH team in 2019.

Construction is anticipated to begin early next year. l

Newnan LINC Trail Segments Near Completion The City of Newnan has been aggressively pursuing development of the Newnan LINC between historic downtown Newnan and the suburbs east of I-85. The newest segments will connect downtown to the south side of Greisen Trail. Construction began in late spring, with completion anticipated at year end. Only the segment between Greisen Trail and the Cancer Treatment Center remains unfinished. Construction is scheduled to begin in December, with completion anticipated next summer.

The City of Newnan funded all phases being developed with TSPLOST allocations. Donations to PATH have helped with project management as well as construction management services. l 6

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New culvert for creek and LINC under Greison Trail in Newnan

ED’S CORNER edwin@pathfoundation.org

Clipped-In Everyone who rides a bike with clips remembers that sinking feeling you get when you come to a complete stop and realize you’re still clipped in.

There’s a moment or two when you try to prevent the inevitable fall by yanking your feet in all the wrong directions as you slowly but surely keel over and hit the pavement. Worse yet, you wallow around under your bike, unable to escape your clips while everyone around you is laughing and saying to themselves ‘that rookie just got his clips.’

I first retrofitted my Fuji road bike with clips in 2006. I remember the guy that installed them telling me “everyone falls clipped-in at some time or another.” I validated his prophecy on several occasions.

down my leg through dirt and asphalt debris.

I was definitely the entertainment at that party.

The next clipped-in adventure for me was between Cedartown and Piedmont, Alabama. It was the annual Labor Day ride supporting the folks in Polk County that were helping maintain the trail. I was riding in the rain with a group when I had trouble maintaining control of my bike. At first I thought it was the water and the pine straw but soon realized my front tire was flat.

I rolled to a stop and forgot to clip-out. Down I went in front of my riding buddies who, of course, had stopped to help me with the flat. With only my pride hurt, I was soon on my way.

My first clipped-in ride was on the Silver Comet to meet friends for brunch on Sunday in Rockmart. I planned the trip so I would arrive at the restaurant when my friends got out of church. I arrived right on time after my picture-perfect, 35-mile ride to Rockmart.

The last time I failed ‘clips 101’ was on the Carrollton Greenbelt. I was checking out spur trail options with my good friend, Erica Studdard, when I rolled to a stop and only clipped-out on one side and fell the other way. Lesson learned: always clipout completely when stopping a bike.

I circled through the restaurant parking lot as several carloads of church-goers arrived, my friends included. While waving to my friends, I rolled to a stop and helplessly keeled over, firmly clipped in as carloads of dressed up ladies and gents entered the restaurant. They watched in horror as I struggled to escape my clips and crawl out from under my bike.

I don’t ride clipped-in anymore. When you get old you start worrying about breaking something. I’ve got a pouch full of incredible memories of riding my bike.

Falling, clipped-in is just part of biking. Those clips helped me conquer the hills of Tuscany and ride over ‘trash mountain’ a few times. I’m not complaining. l

Acting as if nothing happened, I retrieved my wallet and phone from my seat pouch and went into the restaurant among the locals and joined my friends at a booth.

After ordering, I noticed several people staring at my torn bike shorts and the blood running

DECEMBER 2021

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Presorted First-Class Mail U.S. Postage Paid Atlanta, GA Permit No. 8163

PATH Foundation P.O. Box 14327 Atlanta, GA 30324

PATH Foundation Board of Directors Charlie Shufeldt, Chairman Alex Taylor, Vice Chairman Jennifer Dorian, Secretary Harry L. Anderson, Treasurer Brian Cosgray William C. Fowler B. Harvey Hill, Jr. Ciannat Howett James C. Kennedy Sarah K. Kennedy Scott Kitchens E. Cody Laird, Jr. Stephen Lanier John W. Somerhalder II C. Austin Stephens Richard Tyler Sam Friedman, Emeritus Chairman W. Douglas Ellis, Jr., Emeritus Carol Muldawer, Emeritus Greta deMayo, Executive Director Ed McBrayer, Executive Advisor

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