Bridge to connect Drayton Mills trail, Beaumont Mill community

Published by the Spartanburg Herald Journal; to see the full article, click here.

Spartanburg County Council on Monday agreed to donate $150,000 to Partners for Active Living to build a pedestrian bridge over Lawson’s Fork Creek that will connect Drayton Mills Trail and the Beaumont Mill community.

“In the last 10 years, many trails have come online,” said Laura Ringo, executive director of Partners for Active Living. ”But we often hear Spartanburg doesn’t have enough trails and are disconnected. We hope to connect all trails.”

John Montgomery, CEO of Montgomery Development, which has developed Drayton Mills Loft Apartments and Drayton Mills Marketplace, said the steel 100-foot long bridge will be built atop a sewer line that Spartanburg Water will be replacing soon.

The bridge will connect trails that link two revitalized mills that are over 100 years old.

Montgomery said the city will work with the county parks and recreation department to design the bridge, which will be maintained by the county.

Ringo said there are now 11 miles of existing trails and 21 miles of proposed trails in the city extending into the county. The goal is to have a countywide network of connecting trails, she said.

“Thank you for your work,” said Councilman Justin Bradley, chairman of the livability committee. “This is the No. 1 priority (of the committee), to connect those trails.”

Councilman David Britt said trails play an important role in attracting growth and economic development.

“People moving here, they want amenities, and trails are a big part of that,” Britt said. “This will help us get to where we need to be.”