KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Knoxville City Council is set to vote to advance a proposal to convert nearly four miles of abandoned railroad tracks in South Knoxville into a multiuse trail.
If approved, 3.8 miles of railroad tracks from stretching from Kerns Food Hall to Ijams Nature Center would be converted into a greenway and 1.5-mile art walk. Gulf and Ohio Railways applied to abandon the tracks in December 2024 and donate the property to Legacy Parks Foundation.
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The Knoxville City Council will vote to approve the rail-to-trail agreement at their Sept. 16 meeting. The proposal would then be subject to final approval from the Surface Transportation Board, a federal agency conducts regulatory oversight of railroads.
Construction of the trail is anticipated to begin late fall with the art walk opening in Fall 2026…