A groundbreaking ceremony for the second phase of the Hopkinsville Greenway System is set for 2 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Pardue Lane Trailhead, city officials announced today.
The public, especially trail enthusiasts, are invited to attend the groundbreaking.
The $4.64 million project will extend the city’s rail-trail an additional 1.7 miles, taking it from Pardue Lane to Foston Chapel Road near Eagle Way bypass.
“We are excited to continue with the Hopkinsville Greenway,” Mayor Carter Hendricks said in a news release. “We know that 21st century cities are connected cities. This phase will help us continue to build a safer, happier, and healthier Hopkinsville.”
The rail-trail extension includes a pedestrian bridge that city officials said will be the longest of its kind in Kentucky. City officials have said the bridge is an essential safety feature to allow trail-users to cross in the area of LaFayette Road and Country Club Lane.
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The city’s news release also notes: “The project is also supported by grant funds in the amount of $716,000 from the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) and an additional $100,000 from the Recreational Trails Program. Thanks to a partnership with the Hopkinsville Surface and Stormwater Utility, the trail extension will also be complemented by added landscaping and improvements to redesign the existing detention basin making the highly visible intersection more appealing to area travelers.”
The rail-trail follows the path of the former U.S. Army railroad bed. Planning for the recreational trail began in 2001, when supporters set the groundwork to have the railroad bed transferred from the Department of Defense to the city. The first leg of the trail runs from North Drive and the river walking path and extends to Pardue Lane.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
