This is the first article I’ve written about the pedestrian bridge project. It may seem an odd omission to readers, so I’ll start this one with a bit of editorializing to explain myself, and then we’ll move to the news.
I cover downtown Knoxville and I’ve considered this bridge marginally, at best, relevant to downtown. While I cover Clarence Brown Theatre, the McClung Museum and other UT-related items which seem relevant to downtown, this seems different. Stretching from just west of Thompson-Boling (I know, Food City, etc.) and connecting in south Knoxville to the west of Chapman Highway, it seems a great idea for UT. Development is already afoot on the south Knoxville side of the river near the landing spot for the bridge, at least in part, in anticipation of the completion of the direct connection to the UT campus.
Clearly, the bridge would be a benefit to UT and to UT students, but is it relevant to downtown? Does it necessarily help the city of Knoxville? I may be proven very short-sighted, but I don’t see it. Unless simply out of a desire to take a long walk, I can’t imagine anyone using the bridge to get to or from downtown. I love the idea of a pedestrian bridge in theory, and as UT, downtown, and South Knoxville continue to meld together in new ways, my perspective may come to seem dated, if not downright silly. Maybe any distinctions between the three will eventually become obliterated.
So, that is the editorial, now the news:
The idea for the bridge goes back several years and has experienced ups and downs along the way, primarily related to funding. In October 2023 Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation (KCDC) announced purchase of properties on the south side of the river around the location of the proposed landing spot near Blount Avenue. The press release emphasized the connection to the South Waterfront Vision Plan. The bridge was touted for its improved safe connection “between South Knoxville and the rest of the city, including downtown, our greenway system, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.”
UT officials weighed in, with UT System President Randy Boyd calling the proposed bridge “a critical investment and symbolic link between communities and opportunities.” He went on to extoll the helpfulness to connecting the campus for housing for employees and students. UT Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman expressed similar sentiments. Both said it would be good for the “community.”
At the time, the State of Tennessee had pledged “$20 million toward planning, design and construction of the pedestrian bridge.” Application had been made for a 2024 federal RAISE, and the release stated that “Beginning in early 2024, public engagement and stakeholder input will guide the development of a master plan for the bridge landing points that align with the South Waterfront Vision Plan.” Then the federal grant was denied twice and the project became jeopardized until recently.
New Life for the Bridge
As has been widely reported, the Biden administration is working to disburse the remaining infrastructure money approved by congress before the change of power in Washington. As a result of those efforts, the city announced at the end of last week the awarding of a “$24.7 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help realize the South Knoxville Pedestrian Bridge.”
Mayor Kincannon praised the grant, connecting it to the South Waterfront Vision Plan and said, “The federal RAISE grant, coupled with the $20 million from the state, will now propel this project to the next stage. I am grateful to the key partners who have committed to seeing this project through. RAISE grants are awarded for transportation and infrastructure projects that could have a profound community impact, and that’s exactly what this project will do by enhancing safety and connectivity.”
The release stated the connection will provide greater access to existing “greenway systems, Suttree Landing Park, the Urban Wilderness, the University of Tennessee Campus, Cumberland Avenue and the Fort Sanders neighborhood, and the future UT Athletics Entertainment District.” Chancellor Plowman also referenced the South Waterfront Vision plan as benefitting from the bridge and said, ” It will provide a valuable connection between our vibrant campus, downtown, and South Knoxville, benefiting our community, and further enhancing the South Waterfront as an active place to live, work, and play. We are eager to continue our collaboration with the City to bring this project to life.”
The release concludes noting that both KCDC and UT have purchased land on the south side of the river, ” for housing and mixed-use projects. The planned connection points on each side of the river are Clancy Avenue on the south side and “the pedestrian concourse on the north, located between Thompson-Boling Arena and Pratt Pavilion.”