Before the gravel went down, the stretch of Highway 9 between Crooked Creek and Bethany Bend already had a path of sorts. People walking the roadside had worn the weeds and grass down to a narrow strip of dirt. The City of Milton later called that strip "improvised," and the walk followed it anyway.
That strip is gone now. In October, the city announced a finished 5-foot-wide gravel path along that stretch, inside Georgia Department of Transportation right-of-way. The path is official, but it isn't a new route. Crooked Creek residents were already making this walk, and the residents themselves asked the city to build it properly. The more useful thing to know is what sits at the far end, and when each door opens.
A trail the neighborhood requested
The city's account is plain about where the idea came from. When Milton's City Council signaled support for the project in March, the city reported that residents of the Crooked Creek subdivision had requested the temporary trail to replace the stretch people had already worn down along the roadside. The stated goal was to make walking to and from the Publix plaza and nearby businesses safer and easier.
The roadside shaped the build. Deputy Public Works Director Rob Dell-Ross told Council that staff had planned the 2,233 feet of path around drainage inlets, narrow spots and sharper vertical drops. Some sections sit farther from Highway 9 and others closer, and the whole length has stabilized shoulders on both sides. TSPLOST funded the work.
The schedule moved quickly. The agenda preview for that March meeting described roughly 2,200 feet of walkway between Bethany Bend, Crooked Creek and the Starfish Scholars of Milton preschool. It noted that the timeline at that point called for a possible construction contract in May 2027. Seven months after that preview, the city said crews had wrapped up and the path was in place. The October announcement described what came before it with a bit of humor:
"It's in place of, well, the relative nothingness that existed there previously when people wore down weeds and grass walking in that area."
That line comes from the City of Milton's October 8 announcement.
The far end is a fully leased center
Bethany Village is the destination. It's the Publix-anchored center at 13800 Highway 9 N, at the corner of Highway 9 and Bethany Bend. Its owner, Phillips Edison & Company, lists the property as fully leased on its current Bethany Village page. The roster covers breakfast, groceries, a sit-down dinner, takeout, a tennis shop and a gym:
- The Bagel Hole, Suite 3031A
- Marco's Pizza, Suite 3031B
- Publix, Suite 3031E
- China Restaurant, Suite 3031G
- Your Serve Tennis, Suite 3031L
- Milton Tavern, Suite 3031W
- Workout Anytime, Suite 3031X
- Starbucks, an outparcel on the property
A full center at the end of a short walk explains why the dirt trail existed at all. A walker on this route can pick up a dozen bagels, the week's groceries or a racquet restring, which is a different errand from a stroll to a single storefront.
The Bagel Hole sets the earliest start
The Bagel Hole is the tenant that makes the path most useful early in the day. When What Now Atlanta reported the lease in January 2025, the bakery had taken 1,600 square feet next to Marco's Pizza and was aiming for an April or May 2025 opening. The opening came later. Forsyth News reported that the Bethany Village location would open Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. By mid-December, the company was celebrating the official opening. The shop has now been open at Bethany Village for about a year, and this is its first fall with a proper walking route from Crooked Creek.
The company's location page lists "Bagel Hole 2" at 13800 GA Highway 9, Suite 3031A. Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends. It's closed Mondays. That 6:30 weekday start is the earliest posted opening in the center.
Bethany Village by the clock
Taken together, the posted hours cover most of the day:
- 6:30 a.m. The Bagel Hole opens Tuesday through Friday, and at 7 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
- 7 a.m. Publix opens and stays open until 10 p.m. every day.
- 8 a.m. Staff arrive at Workout Anytime Monday through Thursday, with staffed hours until 8 p.m. Friday runs 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Members have 24/7 access, so the gym is available whenever the walk happens.
- 10 a.m. Your Serve Tennis opens Monday through Saturday. It closes at 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and at 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Sunday hours run noon to 6 p.m.
- 11 a.m. Milton Tavern opens daily. It serves until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and the bar stays open later. China Restaurant also starts takeout at 11 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and at noon on Sunday.
- Evening China Restaurant takes its last orders at 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8:30 p.m. Sunday. Like The Bagel Hole, it's closed Mondays. Marco's Pizza and the Starbucks outparcel complete the roster.
Mondays are the odd day. Both the bagel shop and the Chinese takeout counter are closed, so a Monday walk works better for groceries, the gym, tennis gear or dinner at Milton Tavern.
Why the path is gravel, and how long it stays that way
The city has described the path as a placeholder. A permanent sidewalk could come with Milton's Highway 9 project, but the October announcement says that "wouldn't happen for years." The Highway 9 project page explains why the wait is long.
The project covers three miles of Highway 9, from Windward Parkway to the Forsyth County line. Milton took over day-to-day management and delivery in 2025, and GDOT keeps approval authority. Proposed elements include four continuous lanes, a raised median, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, a 35-mph speed limit, intersection upgrades, and a multi-use trail with more connected sidewalks and crossings. Design and right-of-way acquisition are scheduled through 2030, and construction comes after that. In July, the city held more public engagement while the redesign was being finalized.
On that timeline, the gravel is the route to Bethany Village for years to come, and the city said as much. Until something permanent replaces it, the path serves "the same general purpose." When the multi-use trail and connected sidewalks arrive, they'll follow a route Crooked Creek residents have already been using.
Changes along Highway 9, from this path to the larger rebuild, affect how Crooked Creek works day to day. The Highway 9 timeline also comes up when homeowners here think about their next move. If you're weighing what that corridor means for your home in Crooked Creek, The Doug Harden Group would be glad to walk through it with you in a private consultation.