I was riding my bicycle along Neyland Drive yesterday evening and looked up the access ramp as I rode underneath the Buck Karnes (Alcoa Highway/Highway 129) Bridge. I noticed construction barrels stacked along the side of what appeared to be a bicycle lane leading up to the bridge.
Could the bicycle/pedestrian lane project that I had read about be completed?
I turned around and went up the ramp. Sure enough, the lane is finished–or at least it appears to be. All the construction machinery has been removed, leaving a smoothly-paved lane spanning the bridge. Designers appear to have done a fairly good job with the lane (a few construction pictures are currently available here). There is a concrete barrier on the highway side so you feel sufficiently isolated from the oncoming traffic. The vertical railing on the river side does not over-obstruct the scenery.
I rode across the Tennessee River just as the Star of Knoxville riverboat was paddling underneath. It’s a nice view from up there.
I went to the other side of the river and spent a few minutes exploring the old service roads that the path connects to. The problem is that there currently aren’t many riding options on the south side. Cherokee Trail isn’t very bicycle-friendly, and there aren’t any other thru-roads in that area. I understand the longer-range plan is for the greenway to be extended to Marine Park, and eventually on into Blount County. But there’s not much there for now.
Nonetheless, the bridge bike lane extension is a welcomed improvement in the non-motorized infrastructure. I hope to see more of this kind of progress.