Mill Line Trail Completion and Opening Delayed
Tuesday, January 30th, 2024
The anticipation has been building for the completion of the Mill Line Trail project in Dalton, but unfortunately the wait is going to last a little while longer. An unusually wet and cold month of January has caused construction delays that have pushed back the anticipated completion of the trail.
"I'd say that with the recent rains, we've gotten more than six inches of rain in the past couple of weeks," said Chad Townsend, director of Dalton's Public Works Department. "Given the heavy rains and the location of the project, it's hindered us. And then, naturally, with the freezing and the thawing, the extremely cold temperatures we've experienced recently, it's certainly pushed things back a little bit."
Caption: A section of the Mill Line Trail project is seen along Mill Creek near Haig Mill Lake Park
City leaders hoped to have the trail ready for a soft opening by the start of February, but now that will not happen. Work that is still left to be completed on the project includes the installation of fencing in certain parts of the trail for pedestrian safety and also other detail work.
"Basically, we're just putting the finishing touches on the project to make it completely safe for the public," Townsend said.
Dalton leaders still hope to be able to open the trail sometime later in February, but there is no announced date for the completion or any official opening ceremonies for the trail project.
The Mill Line Trail is a paved trail connection between Haig Mill Lake Park and the old Eagle Walk trailhead on Chattanooga Avenue. The Mill Line mostly follows the footprint of the old Eagle Walk Trail, a footpath created by local Boy Scouts along Mill Creek. The new project consists of a 10-foot wide paved trail suitable for bicyclists, runners, and walkers. The project spent approximately two years on the drawing board while various agencies and organizations such as the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Division reviewed and signed off on plans and needed permits. Construction work on the project began in June 2023.
The completion of the Mill Line is not the end of the road for the trail project. City leaders plan to extend the trail connection to eventually tie it in with downtown Dalton. Funding to construct that trail connection is anticipated to be part of the 2024 SPLOST referendum on the May 2024 ballot.
