When completed, the greenway will consist of a roughly 2.5-mile trail from Woodland Hills Drive at River Grove Park to Burning Tree Court near the Forest Cove community, according to a Feb. 8 news release from the Houston Parks Board. The $3.94 million greenway will feature hike and bike trails, seating areas, native flora, directional signage, and trash cans and recycling bins.
The trail will be a mix of new, 10-foot-wide concrete trails as well as existing pavement that may be wider than 10 feet, according to Houston Parks Board officials. Construction on the greenway will take roughly 12 months to complete, and contractors will begin construction east end of the trail at Woodland Hills Drive, officials said.
The greenway will also include parking for parkgoers in the former Riverview Townhomes at Forest Cove community, per the release. The townhome community has been abandoned since Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, and the Harris County Flood Control District has been slowly buying out the property to make way for the greenway, as Community Impact Newspaper previously reported.
The San Jacinto Greenway will eventually connect to Phase 2 of Harris County Precinct 4's Edgewater Park; however, construction is still ongoing on the 19-acre Phase 1 of Edgewater Park. Edgewater park will also connect to the upcoming Spring Creek Hike & Bike Trail, which will connect to the Townsen Park and Ride and the Spring Creek Greenway.
In a statement from the news release, Houston Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin, who represents District E in the Kingwood area, said the city has worked with the Houston Parks Board on the project for several years.
"We are excited about this new green space with the construction of 2.6 miles of new trails, bike paths, and other amenities which will strengthen Kingwood’s status as the ‘Livable Forest,'" Martin said in the statement. "I am looking forward to the completion of the project and enjoying this amenity that supports all of our efforts to turn floodways into recreational green space."
The project is part of the Houston Parks Board's Bayou Greenways 2020 initiative, which launched in 2012. The initiative aims to connect 150 miles of trail systems along nine bayous in the Greater Houston area.
