News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
An ADA-accessible greenway trail along Crossville’s Obed River will be constructed with a $630,000 state grant.
Crossville City Manager Greg Wood said the project is part of a much larger trail-building plan. This portion will pave the greenway from Centennial Park to make outdoor activity available for those with disabilities.
“We have a large portion retired in the community, both here and in Fairfield Glade,” Wood said. “You have to keep an eye on the senior population, and you also have younger folks that have those issues for one reason or another.”
Wood said the project plan includes a proposed bridge that will be funded by a Tri-Star grant. The Community Development Block Grant and the city’s 10 percent match will cover the paving. Wood said the project is scheduled to finish before 2026.
Wood said projects that involve major grading and pavement are expensive. He said the city completed the airport trail a few months ago, bridges and all, for around $10,000. The cost to pave this trail accounts for the substantial cost difference.
“There’s about a 16-page plan for not just Crossville, but also including Fairfield Glade and other places in the county spearheaded by Friends of the Trails,” Wood said.
Wood said new paved trail options in Crossville will help residents and make the community stronger.
“There are fleas and ticks on some of the other trails and I have a German Sheppard that attracts those things, so I like to use the paved trails myself,” Wood said. “I have a little bit of a disability from my military service as well, so I appreciate those paved trails myself.”
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development shelled out some $36 million in Block Grants to 78 different communities. Wood said he expects to see the already abundant outdoor activities available in Crossville and Cumberland County continue to multiply through these plans.
