The City of Alcoa invites its residents and the community to join in a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening and illumination of the long-awaited Alcoa Greenway Pedestrian Bridge and West Hunt Road trail extension on Tuesday, December 21, at 5:00 p.m. This ceremony will take place east of the bridge just south of the Alcoa Municipal Building parking lot.

Trail users will be happy to know that after more than a decade of planning, the bridge has been completed and will link the existing 10 miles of the Alcoa and Maryville greenway trails to the western side of Alcoa, a portion that until now had no trail access. A recently constructed 0.4 mile trail from the bridge to the sidewalks in the St. Ives Subdivision will connect the West Hunt Road communities (St. Ives, Northwood, St. Thomas, Armona, and Benford Heights) to the greenway system. Trail lights will be completed as weather conditions allow. From this trail a second 0.5 mile pedestrian/bicycle trail will extend to the sidewalk that is already under construction along Louisville Road. This second trail and the Louisville Road sidewalk will open the trail system to residents in the Green Meadow, Andover, and Crosswinds areas. Future plans call for the extension of the sidewalk along Louisville Road to the Hunters Crossing / Wal-Mart Center.

The bridge spans the U.S. 129 Bypass between the Alcoa Municipal Building in Springbrook Corporate Center and Anderson Lumber Company. The bridge is supported by two concrete abutments, is 225 feet long, rises 21 feet above the highway, and is accessible by approach ramps on either end of the bridge. Aluminum letters spelling out “City of Alcoa” adorn each side of the bridge. The letters are backlit by LED fixtures.

The total cost of the bridge project was just over $1.5 million and was fully funded from state and federal grants. General contractor for the project was Bell & Associates Construction. The concrete and steel bridge is the same width as the Greenway trails, 10 feet, and will be accessible to the disabled by the ramps on both sides.

Mayor Don Mull stated, “Trail users will now have a safe and convenient link to travel from neighborhoods on the western side of the City to trails, parks, and communities throughout the City, all without getting into a car. Our greenway system creates a lasting public value and truly enhances the livability of our region and increases property values.”