Track to trail: Rails scrapped for new SGF-Ozark greenway

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Business owners on the city’s southeast side are seeing history give way to the future.  A historic rail line is in the process of being removed.  In its place will be one of the largest recreational projects the area has seen in years.

“I’m a big fan of the tracks. It’s a great feel to a historic presence. I know there was a lot of value to those in the years past,” says Derek Shimeall, Co-Owner of 4 By 4 Brewing Company.

Shimeall’s business is located less than a block away from an old BNSF Railway line passing through the Galloway neighborhood.  The route has been in place since the late 1800s. In recent decades, the tracks were used to deliver coal loads to the James River Power Station near Lake Springfield.  However, the line was rendered useless after City Utilities of Springfield closed the plant, and it has been years since residents have heard the sound of a passing train.

The line has sat unused since then.  But, work to transform the corridor is finally starting. In recent weeks, scrapping crews have been busy removing the rail to make way for a greenway.

Shimeall said, “It’s fun to walk and see…kind of feel that history. So, I’m a big fan of the tracks, but obviously a big fan of trails as well.”

When it’s done, the 12-mile-long Chadwick Flyer Trail will begin just south of Sunshine Street and travel south to Galloway before passing the Springfield Nature Center and Lake Springfield. From there, the rails-to-trail project with head through Fremont Hills before terminating in Ozark. The endpoint of the hiking and biking path would be near Finley Farms.

Jeremy Parsons, Public Works Director for the City of Ozark, explained, “The goal is to meet in the middle there.  They are working from the north to the south. We’re working from the south to the north and having that connectivity between our communities. It is going to offer something that I think citizens for generations will be able to enjoy.”

While there’s still plenty of track to remove in Springfield, Ozark is way ahead since its section of rail was removed back in the 1980s. People here are already enjoying the pathway.

Parsons stated, “They’re excited. They know that there’s much more to come. But the usage that we’re seeing on the phases that have been completed is already just really overwhelming. It’s it’s great to see, you know, kind of where yet with that. I know that’s been a big long process with mode on it such area.”

Ozark’s portion will have the most visible portion of the path as it spans U.S. 65 on a massive overpass.  The structure will also serve as a gateway to the community.

“It has been a process but I think we’ve come up with a design that will become an iconic feature for the Ozarks, Parsons said.  “I think it will showcase kind of the history and the culture of Ozarks. This Chadwick Flyer Trail is rich in history and stories, and we do want to showcase that aspect of it to see how.”

In addition to segments within the city limits of Ozark, there is also a section south of Lake Springfield that has been completed. that section begins at Kissick Road next to the power plant and heads south across the Greene-Christian County line.

Business owners are looking forward to the new visitors coming in on the trail.  The 4 By 4 brewery is especially looking forward to its completion.  While its first location is in Galloway its newest location is also near the trail in the Fremont Hills area.

Shimeall said, “We get good foot traffic off the existing trail, but I think with the expansion and connecting into a further part down into even Christian County and up north, I think we will see higher traffic. I think it’s great to connect with those, especially with both of our locations being tied to those trails. I think it’s a win-win, no doubt.”

The City of Ozarks says the plan is for construction to begin on the U.S. 65 overpass this coming January and be done within a few months.

OzarksFirst reached out to Ozark Greenways for a timeline on the construction and completion of the Springfield segment.  We are still waiting for those details.

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