Mayor Bill Haslam presided over a ribbon cutting celebration for the city's Chilhowee Drive Sidewalk Project Tuesday near the entrance to Holston Middle School.

Joining the mayor in cutting the ribbon were City Councilman Mark Brown, Town Hall East President Sharon Davis, Holston Middle School Principal Tom Brown and several members of the school's Beta Club.

Mayor Haslam, Vice Mayor Mark Brown, Town Hall East President Sharon Davis, Holston Middle School Principal Tom Brown and Beta Club Students participate in the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the new Sidewalk Project on Chilhowee Drive.The $444,517 project connected an existing section of sidewalk along N. Chilhowee Drive from near the Interstate 40 overpass some 580 linear feet to the entrance of Holston Middle School.

Prior to the project's completion in late November students walking to school from the Chilhowee Hills neighborhood walked along the side of the busy street, and sometimes in it, to reach their destination.

As part of the project an existing slab bridge over a tributary of Love's Creek had to be widened to accommodate the sidewalk and 700 linear feet of water lines and 200 linear feet of sanitary sewer lines had to be relocated.

The mayor told the group that one of the main requests the city receives is for more sidewalks. The city often focuses sidewalk construction efforts in areas around schools.

There are plans for upcoming sidewalk projects near Austin-East High School and Central High School.