Project: |
Ocmulgee Heritage Greenway Trail |
Owner: |
Bibb County Board of Commissioners
Contact: Barry Smallwood
780 Third Street
Macon, Georgia
Phone: 478.621.6333 |
Architect: |
Nimrod Long & Associates
Contact: Dave Giddens
2213 Morris Ave. First Floor
Birmingham, AL 35203
Phone: 205.323.6072 |
Contract amount: |
$900,000 |
Completion date: |
February 2005 |
 In the past, rivers were in many ways essential to life. Not only did they mean food and water to Indians and early settlers, they also meant commerce and transportation to early Georgians. Modern transportation and utilities changed the way people lived, and as a result, rivers like the Ocmulgee—as the Indians that settled here hundreds of years ago called it—seemed all but forgotten.
The Ocmulgees floodwalls crumbled over time, and as industries developed around it and the woods and kudzu grew, the river was hidden from public view. Then, in the 1990s, Macon’s city and county leaders joined together with the Newtown Macon group and committed to finding the right construction company to guide and assist them in preserving the river area as a reminder of our heritage and as a gathering place to be enjoyed by all.
Garbutt Construction worked on the Ocmulgee Heritage Greenway through three hurricanes.
Today, in place of overgrowth and decay, the Ocmulgee riverside is lined with wide walkways and bicycle paths braced by sturdy new retaining walls. Power lines are hidden, and attractive landscaping, ornamental railings and beautiful stonework now stand as symbols of pride in the community. From Martin Luther King Boulevard all the way to Central City Park, the greenway meanders, beckoning residents and visitors alike to enjoy a walk along the historic and scenic Ocmulgee riverside.
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