Work on the first of three phases linking midtown Columbus, Ga., to the city's Chattahoochee Riverwalk and the Fall Line Trace on the Dragonfly Trails is expected to begin next year, providing a safer path for pedestrians without having to navigate busy streets.
According to a joint report from the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer and Georgia Public Radio (GPB) on Dec. 10, 2025, the Columbus Consolidated Government (CCG) partnered with the PATH Foundation and Dragonfly Trails Inc. in 2016 to adopt the 65-mi. master plan for the Dragonfly Trails Network.
Dinglewood Park Trail is the first step in creating an east-west connection through midtown, Dragonfly Trails Executive Director Becca Zajac told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email. It will run through one of the city's most active residential areas, including Lakebottom Park, and pass by the Columbus Museum and Columbus High School.
"For years, residents have asked for safer ways to reach these parks, schools and nearby businesses without navigating busy streets," she said.
The Dinglewood Park Trail, Zajac added, represents the beginning of fulfilling that need.
Columbus Details Plans for Dinglewood Park Trail
A 10-ft.-wide concrete trail will begin at 10th Avenue and Wynnton Road, where the MLK Jr. Trail ends, and travel east along Wynnton Road, north along Bradley Drive, east on Warren Williams Road and through Dinglewood Park.
This part of the project will cover approximately 4,956 linear ft. and include landscape and stormwater improvements and trail amenities.
Pedestrian crossings will be upgraded at Wynnton Road, Bradley Drive, 13th Street and 18th Avenue, Zajac noted. Doing so will create a clearer delineation between people and vehicles to create safer crosswalks, she said.
Adding more Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-accessible parking spaces in the Dinglewood Park lot also will be included in the effort.
The Dinglewood Park Trail project is currently out for bid, with contractors' proposals due at the end of December, according to Zajac.
"The city expects to award the contract in early 2026, with construction beginning before spring," she said. "Barring weather or unforeseen delays, construction should take about 12 months, with the trail opening in 2027."
The final cost for this section of the project will be determined when the competitive bid process concludes. So far, Dragonfly Trails Inc. has invested more than $150,000 to fund the design, engineering and permitting.
In addition, Dragonfly Trails and CCG have secured a $200,000 Recreational Trails program grant through the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which requires a $200,000 match.
"This upfront investment by Dragonfly Trails Inc. allows the city to move trail projects forward more quickly and ensures they are ‘shovel ready' when public funding becomes available," Zajac said. "This public-private partnership model is one reason Columbus has been able to expand its trail system at such a rapid pace."
Georgia's Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax and the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax are two sources of funding CCG uses to fund the construction of trails, she said.
The other two phases of the trail system project are in the design process and will extend the Midtown Connector across Lakebottom Park and along Cherokee Avenue to the Fall Line Trace. When completed, Zajac said it will be a "major spine" of the entire Dragonfly Trails Network.
"The Dinglewood Park Trail fills one of midtown's most significant safety and connectivity gaps, giving residents a protected way to reach parks, schools, restaurants and other destinations," she said. "Trails are essential infrastructure — they improve health, expand transportation options, strengthen neighborhoods and support local businesses.
"The Midtown Connector will bring the same kind of community and economic benefits the Riverwalk has delivered for uptown, now extended into midtown."
