Sandy Creek walking paths back in use

THE WALKING paths at Sandy Creek Park have been fully restored following the October flooding.

Even though many haven't realized it, the walking trails at Sandy Creek Park were officially opened for business last week.

Jasper City Manager Alan Grindstaff announced Monday the park's walking trails were put back in service even though many ignored the signs and walked on the trails before the work had been completed.

"We just have to finish picking up all the garbage and replace all the containers that were lost in the flooding," Grindstaff said.

He said a number of people were ignoring the signs to stay off the walking paths and using them prior to them being finished.

"That was not everybody but they just used the trails," Grindstaff said.

He said the walking trails through the woods still need work.

The October flood washed away the granite

trails after the Sandy Creek waters rose and flowed through the park, parking lot and playground.

Grindstaff said the city spent $25,000 in material alone to get the walking trails and park back into use.

The crushed granite is $36 per ton and the city will needed untold tons to resurface the track, plus the labor and equipment to both lay the new and straighten or remove the old.

"It was not cheap to repair these trails," Grindstaff said.

He said the flooding caused a crack in one of the park's restrooms but the structurally the wall is fine.

Including labor, Grindstaff said the city spent approximately $75,000 total on the repairs to the park.

He added that Jasper County prisoners were used on the project and that helped reduce the labor costs for the city.