New details have been released about the Red Mountain Cut—an exciting new project that aims to create a bicycle and pedestrian trail through the Red Mountain Cut that connects downtown Birmingham with the over-the-mountain cities.

Red Mountain Cut Foundation shares new renderings, video and website

In late 2022, the Red Mountain Cut Foundation began seeking sending letters of endorsement to help with grant proposals for a transformative addition to the existing Red Mountain Cut. The addition? A planned bicycle and pedestrian path through the Red Mountain Cut connecting a number of areas and assets, including:

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) campus
5 Points South
Highland Avenue
English Village
The Birmingham Botanical Gardens
The Birmingham Zoo
Downtown Homewood
Vulcan Park

Now, The Red Mountain Cut Foundation has a new website, complete with captivating renderings, a dramatic video and information about the Red Mountain Cut project.

According to the Red Mountain Cut Foundation website, the bicycle and pedestrian trail would be part of the Red Rock Trail System connecting the ever-growing network of Jefferson County trails. In addition, the project would support bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly improvements on 21st Avenue South and 22nd Street South, including a new sidewalk, bike lanes, crosswalks and safety signage.

The team involved in the planning, organization and execution of the Red Mountain Cut project include:

Learn more about partnership opportunities with the Red Mountain Cut Foundation.

History of the Red Mountain Cut

Red Mountain Cut Geologic Walkway — The Red Mountain Cut Trail as it currently exists. (Jeff E. Newman)

The Red Mountain Cut—a massive removal of soil, clay and rock from the ridge of Red Mountain—was created in the 1960’s to make way for the Red Mountain Expressway, an extension of Highway 31 and Highway 280 connecting Birmingham to the Over the Mountain communities.

The excavation of the cut exposed hundreds of millions of years of geologic rock layers which caught the eye of geologists. In 1978, the City of Birmingham opened the Red Mountain Museum to house and display the fossils found during the excavation along with other scientific treasures.

In addition, a portion of the Cut was turned into a walkway, where visitors to the Red Mountain Museum could see the geologic layers for themselves.

After the Red Mountain Museum merged with another local museum to form McWane Science Center in 1991, the walkway was closed. Currently, the Red Mountain Cut’s existing pedestrian trail is closed to the public and overgrown—although the area was significantly tidied up during a major facelift on the Red Mountain Expressway in 2022.

Do you support the Red Mountain Cut Foundation’s project? Tag us @bhamnow to let us know!