Knox County has a conceptual drawing and appears ready to build a pedestrian bridge over Beaver Creek along Brickyard Road near Powell High School.
Out of the blue, Knox County Engineering and Public Works has called a public meeting for Thursday, September 29, 2022, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Powell Library, 330 W. Emory Road. It will have an open house format rather than a formal presentation. Staff from the county’s EPW will be on hand to answer questions.
Knox County is building a roundabout at the intersection of Brickyard Road and Beaver Creek Drive and installing sidewalks along both roads. Previous story here. The heavily-traveled Brickyard Road has a bridge over Beaver Creek near the new kayak put-in behind the Powell High baseball field. That bridge is a bottleneck for bicycles and pedestrian traffic. The best solution is a free-standing pedestrian bridge. We’ll see what the county has in mind on Thursday.
Meanwhile, benefits of the proposed bridge are obvious:
- Connection of existing sidewalk from Powell High School to Clinton Highway with the sidewalk system along Powell Drive/Emory Road (from Halls to Clinton Highway) and to the new sidewalks on Beaver Creek Drive that will be built in conjunction with the roundabout.
- Safety for staff and students at Powell High School who might walk or bike to school. Also, the school’s safety plan calls for evacuation along Brickyard Road to shelter at The Crown College on W. Beaver Creek. The pedestrian bridge would keep Brickyard itself open for emergency vehicles.
- Public health will be enhanced when we get residents out walking/jogging/biking on greenways and trails; economic benefits will accrue to property owners when the rest of Knox County discovers the benefits of living in Powell. And heck, it’s just fun.
Info: Knox County Engineering and Public Works at 865-215-5800.