Blog: City Blog

City Makes Progress on 11 Miles of New Greenway and Trail Segments

The fall season typically means two things in East Tennessee: football games and hikes to see the beautiful changing leaves.

Knoxville will have even more options for leaf viewing this year, as 2017 has been a productive year for greenways and trails. Progress has been made on approximately 11 new miles of the City of Knoxville's trail system.

The $1.3 million, 0.6-mile segment of First Creek Greenway will connect Woodland Avenue at Fulton High School to Edgewood Park, affording an unexpected forested refuge along the bustling Broadway corridor.

First Creek Greenway - Woodland Avenue Entrance

First Creek Greenway - Woodland Avenue Entrance

Work is underway on the Woodland Avenue entrance of the new segment of First Creek Greenway in front of Fulton High School.

The project was funded through a TDOT Enhancement Grant with 80 percent funded by the State of Tennessee and a 20 percent match from the City of Knoxville.

Pedestrian Bridge over First Creek

Crews work on a retaining wall in between First Creek and Fulton High School to make way for the new First Creek connector.

Much of the construction has been visible to passersby from Broadway, especially the pedestrian bridge framework that crosses over First Creek. As summer temperatures increased, crews moved over to building three retaining walls within the wooded portion of the greenway along the creek. Crews have also started removing sidewalk on Edgewood Drive that will be converted into an asphalt greenway. Work for the entire project is slated to be finished by the end of fall 2017.

Additionally, City Council recently approved a second segment of the First Creek Greenway that will connect 0.3 miles from Fulton High School to Cecil Avenue. This is part of another grant from TDOT for the Broadway Greenway and Streetscape project. This portion is slated for completion in 2020.

Further west, City engineers are approaching completion of the design phase for a 0.9-mile extension of Northwest Greenway, connecting Victor Ashe Park to Western Avenue. This project will include an impressive 464-foot bridge that will span over Western Avenue. Completion is slated for 2019.

Plans for the Northwest Greenway Connector Bridge

Plans for the Northwest Greenway Connector Bridge

Schematics for the Northwest Greenway Connector pedestrian bridge, which will span over Western Avenue.

In East Knoxville, a 0.3-mile extension of Loves Creek Greenway from Buffat Mill Road to Millertown Pike has entered the design phase.

The City intends to extend Second Creek Greenway between World’s Fair Park and Bernard Avenue along Second Creek. On Aug. 29, City Council approved the design contract to proceed on this 0.8-mile segment.

Greenways Service Crew projects

The Public Service Department’s Greenways Service Crew was announced in December 2016 and has been a productive source of in-house greenway and trail projects ever since. The crew's projects include:

•   Knoxville Botanical Garden Trail extension (0.025 mile) – completed March 2017
•   Charter Doyle Greenway access trail (0.3 mile) – completed August 2017
•   Sam Duff Greenway connector (0.06 mile) – completed May 2017
•   Zaevion Dobson Park Loop (0.1 mile) – completed May 2017
•   Baker Creek Trail connector to South-Doyle Middle School (0.3 mile) – completed July 2017
•   Mary Vestal Greenway extension (0.3 mile) – to be completed in fall 2017

Greeneways Service Crew at work on Knoxville Botanical Gardens Trail extension

Greeneways Service Crew at work on Knoxville Botanical Gardens Trail extension

City Greenways Service Crew workers finished the trail extension at the Knoxville Botanical Garden earlier this year.

The Greenways Service Crew also is managing resurfacing projects:

•   Parkside Greenway – to be completed fall 2017
•   Morningside Greenway – completed
•   Third Creek Greenway – completed
•   Turkey Creek Greenway – completed
•   Northwest Greenway – to be completed fall 2017

Partners paving the way - literally

In addition to City of Knoxville greenway and trail work, non-profit partners are building some of the largest installments in City parks.

At Fort Dickerson Park, the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club is working with the City to add approximately four new miles to the Fort Dickerson Trail network around the quarry lake, with completion expected in winter 2017.

Fort Dickerson Park additional trails

Four miles of new trails (illustrated in red) will supplement the existing Fort Dickerson Trail (in green).

Furthermore, the Lakeshore Park Board is building a two-mile extension of Lakeshore Greenway. When opened by the end of the year, Lakeshore Greenway users will be able to execute a four-mile route without repeating a trail.

Lakeshore Greenway extension

Portions of the two-mile trail extension of Lakeshore Greenway have already been completed and are open to the public.

South Waterfront Riverwalk Moving Forward

303 Flats Riverwalk

Riverwalk under construction at the new 303 Flats, just west of the Henley Street Bridge.

Knoxville is staged to soon have one connected mile of South Waterfront Riverwalk. Construction of a 450-foot-long segment at the 303 Flats is underway just west of the Henley Street Bridge. It will link the existing Cityview Riverwalk segment to the Riverwalk at the Bridges section (between Henley Street and Gay Street bridges), which also under construction. Other completed sections of the riverwalk are in place at the River's Edge apartments and Suttree Landing Park. Eventually, the South Waterfront Riverwalk will span a total of three continuous miles.

In 2016, the City of Knoxville released its most comprehensive plan for greenway connections in Knoxville, known as the Greenway Corridor Feasibility and Assessment Study. The plan outlines 13 greenway corridors that connect existing City greenways to neighborhoods, parks, schools, and other local assets.

Much of the greenway and trail work implemented in 2017 is a first look at following this Greenways Feasibility Study.

For more information on existing City greenways and trails, visit www.knoxvilletn.gov/greenways.

Posted by On 14 September, 2017 at 5:08 PM