Neyland Greenway runners and bicyclists can focus on their heart rate and speed - and not worry about navigating an irregular surface - now that City of Knoxville crews have replaced the boardwalk that skirts the Kuwahee Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Tennessee River. 

The wooden decking, more than 20 years old, was warping and due for an upgrade. So the City's Public Service Department replaced all the boards, added joists and made structural upgrades - a renovation that, if contracted out to a private company, might have cost as much as $40,000. 

The work was done entirely by City workers over a month and a half, costing only about $10,000 in materials. 

Similarly, Public Service Department crews saved taxpayer dollars by rerouting a flood-prone section of the Third Creek Greenway late last year. Doing that project in-house saved about $145,000, compared with the estimate from a private contractor, according to Peter Gerlach, the City's Construction Manager. 

Public Service Department Foremen Steve Ogle and Brad Mills oversaw the Neyland Greenway Boardwalk work, which was started in December, because that's the time when the popular greenway is least used. 

"It was a perfect opportunity, because usage is lowest in December and early January," Gerlach said. "We're finishing up the last details now. This boardwalk should be good for the next 25 or 30 years." 

SEE VIDEO LINK BELOW: 
Foreman Steve Ogle talks about the boardwalk project.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B76Wf1MmISOrcHlLMGgwZHhwdHc/edit?pli=1