HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Huntsville leaders cut the ribbon Thursday on a new north-side trail that finally stitches Sparkman Drive toward the Alabama A&M University campus, and they put a familiar neighborhood name on the pavement.
The path carries the Meek Greenway title for Opal Meek, who has spent years organizing neighbors and pressing city hall on quality-of-life issues in north Huntsville. Mayor Tommy Battle told the crowd her persistence made the naming choice an easy one.
Work crews broke ground on the segment three years ago. What opened Thursday covers roughly a mile and a third, spans a dozen feet curb to curb, lifts walkers over vehicle lanes at a raised crossing, and adds a small lot at Mastin Lake Road where the ceremony unfolded.
James Gossett, who leads the parks department, said the university gave up a sizable easement so the corridor could reach campus ground, and he also tipped the region’s land-conservation group for pitching in. He tallied about 46 miles of greenway already in place citywide and roughly a dozen more still being designed.
One last piece remains. Crews are due to start the remaining third of a mile in spring 2027, tying the path fully to the campus and adding a connector road with that work.
Michelle Watkins, the District 1 council member, cast the project as a bridge between students and nearby streets, saying outdoor space and everyday access matter as much as the asphalt itself.
Meek told the gathering she first glimpsed her name on a planning map in 2018 and thanked city workers who stayed late at community meetings answering questions. She said she hopes families use the path for years.
Gossett framed the opening as more than mileage, arguing trails give people a place to walk, bike and meet neighbors. Battle pointed to busy campus days and recalled riding bikes to last year’s homecoming instead of sitting in traffic.
City planners describe the Meek Greenway as one step in a longer north Huntsville network meant to reach downtown and the Pinhook Creek linear park over time. Officials said more investment could follow beside the corridors as the links fill in.
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