Singing River Trail unveils Western Route Master Plan

MOORESVILLE – The Singing River Trail has unveiled the completed Western Route Master Plan. The SRT will be a 230-mile greenway system that winds its way across North Alabama from Sheffield to Bridgeport.

Executive Director John Kvach showcased the trail’s expansion at an event Thursday at the organization’s headquarters in Mooresville.  

“What this is going to do is become a road map for a linear accelerator for economic development and outdoor recreation,” said Kvach. “And before we even release this, we already have millions of dollars of federal funding coming in.”

Kvach said SRT is providing a direct route that connects more than a dozen communities: Decatur, Trinity, Hillsboro, Pond Spring, Courtland, North Courtland, Town Creek, Leighton, Ford City, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, Tuscumbia, and Florence. 

“We are also working to add waterways to the top of the trail system,” said Kvach. “We want to create waterways that will also allow people to get a kayak and use our smaller streams as part of the Singing River Trail.”

Jared Mitchem of the Tennessee Valley Authority said the mission of the TVA is to improve the quality of life for people, a goal he says aligns perfectly with the Singing River Trail.  

“SRT is working to strengthen the entire region,” he said. “By connecting these communities in Northwest Alabama with the Western Route Master Plan the Singing River Trail is encouraging regionalism and opportunities for the people here.”    

Mitchem cited the significance of Alabama’s first TVA dam in Muscle Shoals. 

“There’s so much rich history in Northwest Alabama. SRT and John are joining these communities with the Western Route Master plan,” he said. “We are proud supporters of the SRT and their expansion efforts.”

Kvach said the Master Plan showcases SRT’s path forward from Decatur to the Shoals, impacting communities throughout the Northwest region of Alabama to maximize connectivity for health and wellness, outdoor recreation, tourism, entrepreneurial growth, economic development, civic engagement, and natural resource conservation.

“Each community along the Western Route now has a clear path toward engaging its natural resources and strengthening their connections with other communities,” he said.