Rail Trail Authority Seeking Funding To Extend To Monterey

The Rail Trail Authority is looking for funding to extend the Rail Trail from Algood to Monterey.

The City of Algood will extend the trail half a mile to Main Street. Rail Trail Authority Chairman Tara Wohlgemuth said the organization has engineering plans to continue the trail up Monterey Mountain.

“That would be investigating what kind of grants are out there for that construction phase if we can totally rely on the engineering we currently have,” Wohlgemuth said. “Or if we need to conduct some new and more specific engineering plans for certain pinch points.”

Wohlgemuth said building the Rail Trail up the mountain will be a challenge with multiple tight spaces and rock faces. Each mile is estimated to cost at least $1 million dollars.

“If we are looking for a ballpark figure that is where we start, but there are more layers of problems going up the mountain increasing the cost,” Wohlgemuth said.

The Tennessee Central Trail is a 4.23 mile, 9-foot wide paved trail that runs alongside an active rail line and traverses popular neighborhoods in the cities of Cookeville and
Algood. Wohlgemuth said the organization has discussed ideas to stretch the trail to Monterey for over 15 years.

“As the uses of the railroads have changed so have the communities plan for building a recreational asset to go along with it,” Wohlgemuth said. “It has changed a lot in that time period, but those on the authority right now are committed to doing our part and move the project forward.”

Rail Trail Authority is working with Putnam County moving forward to help find different funding options.