Sevierville Gets Major TDOT Grant for Pedestrian & Bicycle Route

The City of Sevierville was recently awarded a significant Tennessee Department of Transportation Enhancement Grant to construct Phase Three of the East Sevierville Pedestrian Inter-Connector (ESPiN). The project is part of the City’s comprehensive alternative transportation and recreation trails network that includes the popular Memorial River Greenway along the banks of the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River.

The East Sevierville Pedestrian Inter-Connector will provide safe pedestrian and bicycle routes to municipal facilities and residential areas in a section of Dolly Parton Parkway that does not have a sidewalk and includes a creek crossing. The proposed sidewalk/trail connection from Gary Wade Boulevard to Ford Street will provide linkage between existing sidewalks along Dolly Parton Parkway as well as provide safe access to City Hall, the Community Center and an additional shared-use path connecting the Boys and Girls Club.

Diagram of the East Sevierville Pedestrian Inter-Connector (ESPiN) funded by the TDOT grant.

The total estimated project cost is $637,000 (six-hundred and thirty-seven thousand dollars); eighty-percent of the project cost is covered by the TDOT grant, with the remaining twenty-percent to be paid by the City of Sevierville.

“This is an important piece of the City of Sevierville trail network that will allow safe pedestrian and bicycle access to an area with a high number of residents,” said Parks and Recreation Director Bob Parker. Parker noted that the grant application received support from the Governor’s Office, Sevierville State legislative representatives, local civic organizations and the Smoky Mountain Boys and Girls Club.

Details of the East Sevierville Pedestrian Inter-Connector Project funded by the TDOT grant:

• Estimated construction start: Spring/Summer 2016.
• Estimated Completion: Fall/Winter 2016.
• 8′ wide concrete sidewalks parallel to Dolly Parton Parkway, connecting Gary Wade Boulevard and Ford Street.
• 8′ wide concrete ramp connection to City Hall and existing greenway ADA compliant sidewalk ramps.
• 10′ wide pedestrian bridge over Middle Creek.
• 10′ wide shared-use path connecting the Boys and Girls Club to Dolly Parton Parkway.
• Trail lighting for increased safety.
• Landscaping and Green Space Enhancement.
• Bicycle rack adjacent to the Boys and Girls Club.

For further information on the TDOT grant and ESPiN project, please call 865-453-5441.