Mayor Bill Haslam and Interim University of Tennessee Chancellor Jan Simek joined others in opening the new Second Creek greenway on Thursday, February 28, 2008 at 2 p.m. across the street from the Bridgeview Grill beside Neyland Stadium.

The City of Knoxville and the University of Tennessee worked together to build the greenway which restores a path connecting World's Fair Park to the Tennessee River along Second Creek.

This 0.15-mile extension joins to 14.8 miles of previously connected greenways, including the Neyland, James White, Morningside, Third Creek, Sequoyah, and Bearden Village Greenways.

The Second Creek Greenway also links portions of the City’s greenway system to 1.1 miles of walking trails in World’s Fair Park, creating over 16 miles of connected greenways through the City of Knoxville.

The majority of the Second Creek Greenway’s funding came from enhancement dollars obtained by the office of U.S. Representative John J. Duncan, Jr.

The new greenway extension connects to World’s Fair Park across Cumberland Avenue either by crosswalk at the street level or by the pedestrian bridge over the road.

Pedestrians may also reach Neyland Greenway and Volunteer Landing via Second Creek Greenway by either taking the tunnel under Neyland Dr. or the crosswalk at the street level.

“Second Creek Greenway is a trail that will impact hundreds of thousands of people,” said Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, “including runners and bikers, casual passers by, and Volunteer football fans.”Smokey, the University of Tennessee’s mascot, will also be there to help with the ribbon-cutting for this scenic new route for UT sports events.

Haslam also noted that the City has plans to eventually extend Second Creek Greenway from the northern end of World’s Fair Park into the Old City.