The Foothills Parkway is unfinished and, for some reason, won't be finished, even when the ROW is there. Between US-321 in Walland and US-321 in Wears Valley, the road is graded, complete with overpasses, but not open. Why?
Quote from: HighwayMaster on June 11, 2011, 07:39:33 PM
The Foothills Parkway is unfinished and, for some reason, won't be finished, even when the ROW is there. Between US-321 in Walland and US-321 in Wears Valley, the road is graded, complete with overpasses, but not open. Why?
Funding. The NPS is working on it as the availability of money permits and actually added a few bridges within the past ten years or so. Eventually, that section will be complete and open.
Mike
This bridge (http://www.openstreetmap.org/?way=117313396), in particular, was built recently (it's not on Google aerials, under construction on Bing, and complete on NAIP).
Bumping this old thread..
It looks like the missing link of the Foothills Parkway is set to open Nov. 10th.
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2018/10/25/foothills-parkway-link-50-years-making-open-soon/1760523002/
https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/news/foothills-parkway-opening.htm
Quote from: HighwayMaster on June 11, 2011, 07:39:33 PM
The Foothills Parkway is unfinished and, for some reason, won't be finished, even when the ROW is there. Between US-321 in Walland and US-321 in Wears Valley, the road is graded, complete with overpasses, but not open. Why?
This section of the Parkway was under construction when I lived in Knoxville -- from 1974 to 1987. 31 years later, still not open.
Quote from: wdcrft63 on October 26, 2018, 06:31:13 PM
Quote from: HighwayMaster on June 11, 2011, 07:39:33 PM
The Foothills Parkway is unfinished and, for some reason, won't be finished, even when the ROW is there. Between US-321 in Walland and US-321 in Wears Valley, the road is graded, complete with overpasses, but not open. Why?
This section of the Parkway was under construction when I lived in Knoxville -- from 1974 to 1987. 31 years later, still not open.
See above. It opens Nov. 10th
This still leaves the part between Wears Valley and Cosby with no visible work. Will any of us in the forvm today live to see that section completed?
Mike
Quote from: mgk920 on October 29, 2018, 10:19:35 AM
This still leaves the part between Wears Valley and Cosby with no visible work. Will any of us in the forvm today live to see that section completed?
Mike
Who knows. Some people just want it to be turned into a trail. Parkways are a low priority for the NPS.
I drove this newly opened segment of the Foothills Parkway over Thanksgiving, as my parents live approximately 2 miles from the beginning point in Wears Valley. I took mostly scenery pics but I do have a couple of the road which I can post once I get them off my phone.