Bike/Ped Bridge at Morgan Falls

Bike/Ped Bridge at Morgan Falls

As our vision of the riverside park developed, we saw the opportunity to create a critical hub in a regional system with the construction of a pedestrian bridge, across the Chattahoochee River, south of the historic Morgan Falls dam.

The bridge can:

  • create a regional recreation hub at Morgan Falls for walking, hiking, bicycling, fishing and boating.
  • connect the planned riverside parks in Sandy Springs to the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area's Hyde Farm, Johnson Ferry, and Cochran Shoals National Park units in Cobb County

Status Update, July 2010

Based on SSC’s 2003 Bridge Feasibility Study (see below), the proposed bridge would be constructed and managed by the National Park Service (NPS).  As a federal project, it requires an Environmental Assessment (EA).  The EA considers the environmental impacts of the proposed actions and should find a balance between public use and preservation of natural and cultural resources.

SSC hired Jordan Jones & Goulding to prepare the EA, following an objective process required by NPS standards.  Two public scoping meetings were held in April and June, inviting the public to comment on the proposed project.
 
Because of significant public interest, NPS expanded the project alternatives to five:

  • No Action
  • No River Bridge, pedestrian access only
  • No River Bridge, bike and pedestrian access
  • River Bridge, pedestrian access only
  • River Bridge, bike and pedestrian access, read details here (Morgan_Falls Bridge_final_alternatives.pdf)

In April, 2010, NPS used the Choosing by Advantages process (CBA) to select a preferred alternative.  Alternatives were ranked by relative advantages and costs in meeting NPS’ goals and objectives.

NPS estimates that the Environmental Assessment draft will be completed by the first week in August 2010.  Once the EA is completed, it will be reviewed for technical content by NPS at the local and regional levels.  When released, the Draft EA will be available to the public on the NPS site and this web page.  The final draft will be presented in a third public meeting, with opportunity for public review and comment. 

All written comments from the public meeting and as submitted to the National Park Service during the Environmental Assessment process become part of the EA and the public record.

To read SSC’s 2003 Bridge Feasibility Study and related appendices, click below.  A map of the possible bridge sites can be viewed in “Appendix A- Ped Bridge Study”.

.pdf 2003 Bridge Feasibility Study.pdf 2.95kb
.pdf Appendix A Ped Bridge Sites.pdf 2.17mb
.pdf Appendices B - E Bridge elevations.pdf 4.91kb
.pdf Apendices F - G misc permitting.pdf 2.73mb