Work begins on gardens-zoo connector

Brian Barr could see an open door from the Birmingham Botanical Gardens to the Birmingham Zoo Wednesday morning. A new gate will soon be open at the back of the gardens that will allow pedestrian access from the gardens across the new Cahaba Road roundabout to enter the Birmingham Zoo.

Work is just beginning on opening that new entrance permanently, but those who attended the ribbon cutting for the new roundabout on Wednesday got a sneak peek at what the new connectivity will look like.

Barr, the president of the gardens Board of Directors, said the event doubled as a ground breaking for the new gardens entrance, which will feature bike racks, a map and a complete renovation of the Lawler Gates.

“This is a really exciting time for us to be in two places in one,” said Zoo Board President and Mountain Brook resident Wally Nall. “It’s a great setup for the right direction of things to come.”

Valerie Abbott, District 3 representative for the Birmingham City Council, touted the health benefits for everyone who will be able to use the new sidewalk along Cahaba Road.

“We put the road on a diet,” she said. “Speeders will a lot harder time speeding now too.”

U.S. Senator Spencer Bacchus helped secure funding for the roundabout project through a federal SAFETEA grant, and the City of Birmingham matched it.

Leaders who spoke also recognized the importance of the joint projects to bring together Homewood, Mountain Brook, Birmingham and Jefferson County.

“This is kind of a like a spoke, a hub that connects everybody,” Mountain Brook City Council Member Jesse Vogtle said.

Other upcoming improvements to the gardens will include a new pedestrian crosswalk outside the main entrance on Lane Parke Road, a new path for the Southern Living Garden, new trash and recycling receptacles, new signage, path repairs, new swings and water feature repairs. These collective Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens projects will cost more than $700,000.

“These projects are focused on improving The Gardens' experience​ for all of our visitors and enhancing our connectivity​ to local amenities, especially the Birmingham Zoo,” said gardens Executive Director and CEO Fred Spicer. “They also illustrate how private funding can be used to augment public funding to increase value, functionality and aesthetics.”